


The Baby-sitting Chronicles

by BlueBayou



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Fluff, Oliver and Felicity facing some stuff, Post Season 4, Pre Season 5, a bit of regrets too, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-07-14 01:13:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7146011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBayou/pseuds/BlueBayou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I just had a plot bunny after 423: Felicity baby-sitting Sara and a bit unsure of herself... It started from there.<br/>My main take is that this might be bitter-sweet: taking care of Sara together might remind them exactly of what they have lost... and might also be what pushes them back together :)<br/>You will find several one-shots, drabbles, all concerning Oliver, Felicity and baby Sara in the middle.<br/>!!!COMPLETE!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ice-cream with the Mayor

Felicity sat back on the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her. She wiggled her toes, admiring the mint green nail polish, smiling proudly at her handiwork. **  
**

“I should open a beauty salon. I’m actually pretty good at this,” she said to herself, her voice echoing in the empty loft.

It was the middle of the day and, just like every day since she had been kicked out of Palmer Tech, she was bored.

Bored, bored, bored.

Oh sure, once she had avoided the end of the world, she had been busy restoring the lair. But after that… Oliver was mostly busy as Mayor, Dig had left for the the army, and Thea had gone to spend some time with Roy. Curtis was working during the day and Lyla was still head of ARGUS, even if she had to rely more and more on her second in command.

In short… she was lonely.

And bored.

It wasn’t even like she needed a job, she was still the owner of Palmer Tech and cash was flowing in. But that job had never been about money. It had become a passion, something she had found out she was actually pretty good at. A goal. Something that actually kept her busy, in the best kind of way.

Her ringtone tore her from her depressive thoughts and she glanced at the small screen, a little smile growing on her lips as she accepted the call.

“Hi, Lyla!” she greeted her friend. “You have no idea how glad I am to-”

“Felicity,” Lyla rushed, sounding slightly out of breath. “I need your help.”

Four years working for Team Arrow leave a trace. A muscle memory. In one second, Felicity was up, reaching for her sandals, her mind reeling with a hundred of possibilities. A secret mission, infiltrating some kind of government agency, hacking into a private database… Whatever it was, she was ready, a thrill running through her body at the idea that finally, finally, she was going to be useful. Everything had been so, so quiet ever since the final showdown with Darhk and…

“Felicity… Felicity!” Lyla’s loud voice finally reached her while she was tying her shoe.

“Don’t worry Lyla, I’m on my way. Do I need to take my balaclava?”

There was a pause on the line, then Lyla’s confused voice. “… You have a balaclava?”

“Yes. I only used it once, though, when we… forget it, it’s not important.”

“Listen, I don’t have much time, can I drop Sara at your place?”

“… what?” Felicity sat back down on the couch, suddenly worried at the unexpected demand. She had spent a lot of time with Lyla and baby Sara, but never had to baby-sit her. Lyla had a couple of ARGUS trained nannies that did a wonderful job. So if Lyla asked her, it had to be because she had no other choice or because something bad had happened. “Is there something wrong? Is it Dig??”

“No. No, don’t worry. My second in command is being held back in… somewhere and… something happened … somewhere else and now I am supposed to meet someone urgently,” Lyla explained cryptically.

Felicity knew better than to ask for details that her friend was not allowed to give her so she just breathed, “and the nannies?”

“Can’t get one. I’m so sorry, really but it’s you or a nanny Sara has never met and I’m not comfortable with that.”

“Oh, no. Of course, I’ll take care of Sara,” Felicity rushed to say, honestly not comfortable either with the idea that the little girl would be left with a stranger. “Well… I’ll try to.”

She could hear muffled sounds on the line and Lyla sighed in relief. “Thank you so much. I’ll be there in less than twenty minutes, don’t worry, you won’t have much to do, just make sure she takes a nap, has some food and a clean butt.”

_Nap, food, clean butt. OK I can do this._

“I can’t do this,” a wide-eyed Felicity cried out, mirroring Sara’s high pitched wailing.

They were both sitting on the floor, Felicity struggling to keep the toddler from… actually she didn’t really know from what. She let her go, only to have Sara wobble her way to the door, her little fists banging on the metal surface, a loud scream spilling from her throat.

“Mommyyyyyyy!”

… so that’s what I was keeping her from, Felicity thought as she jumped to her feet, fearing her neighbours might call the police for a suspected case of child abuse.

“Mommy is going to come back soon.” She kneeled next to the little girl. “Very soon… in like… 6 or 8 hours soon,” she added in a trembling voice. “It’s… it’s very soon. Veeeeery soon.”

“Mommy?” Sara sniffed, her big brown eyes still full of tears, her cheeks red from all the screaming.

“Yes,” Felicity grinned, relieved to see that at least the tears seemed to be stopping. “We are going to have so much fun together. We are going to watch cartoons, and then take a nap and…”

“No nap!” Sara shook her head vehemently.

“… we’ll negotiate that part,” Felicity mumbled under her breath then continued, “we could go to the park? And to the store to buy a new toy?”

“A doll?”

“Yes, yes, a doll.” _Make it a dozen if that keeps you from crying._

“Wid a ‘ress?”

_Wid Aress? What… what kind of doll is that?? Do they have them in Toys R Us?_

“A ‘ress like mommy?” Sara insisted, her little hand reaching for Felicity’s.

_Aress like mommy, a ‘ress like… oh._

“Yes, with a dress like mommy.” Felicity grinned, proud of her abilities to translate toddler language into proper English. _I knew all that coding would eventually be useful in real life._

“What about we first read a story? Mommy left some books, and there is one with a little duckie named Robbie that-”

“No!” Sara frowned, crossing her arms on her chest, twisting from one side to the other.

Felicity knew that toddlers always tested limits and tried to push the boundaries set by grown ups. Rationally, she knew that. They were adorable rambling little things who occasionally peed in the bath and could turn into monstrous tyrans at the first sign of weakness.

Yes, Felicity Smoak was completely aware of that.

That’s what she kept repeating herself as she made her way to the lobby with Sara strapped into her stroller. _I am compromising. I am not giving in, I am compromising. This is what grown ups do. They compromise. I’m a compromiser._

Fortunately, it was a bright sunny day. September had just started and what had been quite unbearable heat the previous month had turned into a sweet, warm weather. Sara was babbling in her stroller as Felicity mindlessly walked her around the city. They were passing a flower shop when she crossed path with another woman and a little boy who must have been around Sara’s age. She was showing the flowers and plants, naming them, the child listening to her seriously, pointing to another vase as soon as his mother was done.

Felicity shared a smile with the woman who sheepishly shrugged. “It’s the best way to keep them entertained. Show and tell, right?”

“Tell me about it,” Felicity laughed, mentally hoping she at least gave the image of someone who knew what they were doing. “Show and tell indeed!”

“See Sara? Those are roses.” She kneeled by the girl, pointing to the first vase she could see. “And those are… also roses. But paler and bigger. We call them pale and big roses. And that is a plant. Like a green plant and...” Felicity tilted her head. “It looks like a pot plant actually. Not that you need to remember that!” Felicity hurried to add under the judgemental stare of the other woman.

“Pot plant?” the little boy chirped with big innocent eyes.

“Oh… no… Hum… I’m sorry. Have a good day!” Felicity mumbled, quickly walking away from the flower shop as the mother of the year that gave her the stink eye.

“Doll?” Sara turned around in her seat and Felicity smiled reassuringly, leaning in to stroke her soft curls.

“Yes, we’re going to the store now.”

Thirty minutes later, they were walking out of Toys R Us, Sara clenching a small doll… and a plush penguin.

And a new coloring book.

Felicity had tried to convince her to at least let go of the book but without success. Sara was almost disappearing behind her new toys, her little arms stretched wide around them, holding them protectively against her chest.

“Uncle ‘liver!” she squealed suddenly as they were passing near the city hall. Felicity looked around, knowing her eyes would spot him right away but she was quite at a loss since there was no one who remotely looked like Oliver around them.

“Where? Do you see Uncle Oliver?”

“Uncle ‘liver work,” Sara explained seriously, pointing to the city hall, dropping her coloring book in the process. Felicity quickly retrieved it, swiftly putting it in the basket underneath Sara’s seat while she wasn’t looking.

“Oh. That’s right. This is Uncle Oliver’s office.”

“Go see him?”

“You want to see Oliver?”

“Yes.” Sara grinned, nodding her head enthusiastically. “He gives candy.”

_Typical._

“Maybe he isn’t there, sweetie,” Felicity tried to explain. “Or maybe he is busy and-”

She stopped herself when she saw Sara’s chin trembling. “But we’re going to check!”

They quickly made their way to the city hall, Felicity having been there a few times. Yet, she couldn’t exactly waltz in the mayor’s office, especially with the history of… murders, attempted murders, and kidnappings.

“Awww look at you and those cute little cheeks!” A sudden squeal made her snap her head as she was waiting at the front desk for the receptionist to finish his call.

“… me?” Felicity looked around her, seeing she was quite alone. It’s when she saw the 40-something woman kneel in front of Sara that she realized the little girl had a fan. Which actually made much more sense.

“Hi Sara! You’re coming to see the mayor?”

“Yes,” Sara nodded seriously. “Uncle ‘liver got candy for Sara.”

“Oooh and that is some serious business, indeed,” the woman approved solemnly, sharing a look with Felicity. Oliver’s new chief of staff, she suddenly remembered as she smiled back.

“Let me walk you there, it’s going to be much quicker.”

“Oh, thank you. I didn’t plan on stopping but we were walking around and Sara saw the city hall and…”

“And candy.”

“And candy, yes,” Felicity chuckled as the stepped inside the elevator.

Two minutes later, they were standing in front of a door, with Oliver’s name written on it. She felt a sudden rush of pride at seeing his name, alongside the title of mayor, that she gazed at it until Sara pulled on her pants.

“Yes, yes. Sorry,” Felicity hissed as she knocked on the door. She heard Oliver’s muffled voice inviting her in and for a second she hesitated, feeling, for some reason, out of place. She shouldn’t be visiting him at the office. It wasn’t her place anymore and hadn’t it been for Sara she wouldn’t be there in the first place. She eventually opened the door, pushing the stroller first.

“Hey!” Oliver stood up, a look of pleased surprise on his face. “Isn’t it my favorite assistant?”

The sound of Sara’s proud giggle made her smile as she closed the door behind them. Oliver was by their side in an instant, already unstrapping Sara and lifting her up, plush penguin and doll included. It was a bit of a messy hug, the penguin almost hitting him in the face but Oliver didn’t seem to care at all as he pressed a loud smack on a chubby cheek.

“I’m sorry we were just passing by and she saw your office and…” Felicity explained, twisting her hands. “Lyla had some ARGUS stuff to deal with and… Sara didn’t want to read her book at the loft so…”

“So you took her to the toy store,” Oliver winked, his finger tickling Sara’s neck until she squealed in his arms.

“… well yes,” Felicity admitted with a small laugh. “Isn’t that survival 101 with a kid? Take them to the toy store?”

“I believe it is.” Oliver grinned at her and she pinched her lips, trying very hard not to notice how delicious he looked with his white dress shirt and dark grey vest.

“So… how are you?” she eventually asked as he walked back to his desk, sitting on his chair with Sara on his lap. He pushed back the file he was working on, grabbing a sheet from the printer instead. Opening his drawer, he presented a few crayons to the little girl who picked one and started to scribble, her doll and plush toy dropping on the floor, completely forgotten.

“Great. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the… b-u-n-k-e-r lately but we’ve had late meetings all week.”

“Nah… don’t worry,” she shrugged. “It’s been mostly quiet. Well… normal crimes quiet, I mean. I keep an eye on everything but there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

“It should calm down, now. Our budget is voted, most of the staff is hired. Things are going to slowly progress.”

“I’m sure of that.” She smiled as she sat in the chair across him, her eyes attracted by the wall of fame behind him. She counted 6 different drawings, all obviously made by Sara’s tiny hands.

“I didn’t know Sara and Lyla visited you,” she said quietly.

“Yes, I just… I don’t want Lyla to feel alone. I mean we all know that the reason why Dig left is because of what happened with Andy and… it all comes back to Team Arrow. I wouldn’t be right to not be there to support his wife and kid in any way I can. It’s not much but we try to go on a lunch once a week, and sometimes Lyla enjoys a couple of hours by herself.”

“Oh. I do the same some nights, actually. I go there for dinner, or they come to my place.”

“I know. She told me.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows, feeling slightly hurt. “She… she didn’t tell me about you, though.”

Oliver winced, checking quickly on Sara who was currently coloring… something. “I think she thought maybe you wouldn’t be comfortable talking about me?”

“… maybe.”

_But it doesn’t make much sense, she knows we still see each other most nights at the bunker._

“Candy?” Sara’s little voice interrupted them as she looked at Oliver with hopeful eyes. “Please?”

Oliver grimaced. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I ran out of candy last time and forgot to buy more.”

Sara’s smile dropped from her face as she looked at Felicity as if she could make some appear magically.

“But we could get ice-cream instead.” Oliver offered as he gently tickled her side.

Sara gasped, her mouth opening in a O of utter delight. “Yes!”

“What do you think, Aunt Felicity? Ice cream is even better than candy, right?” Oliver asked her as Sara dropped her crayon, all thoughts of drawing forgotten as she started to chant “ice-ream ice-ream ice-ream!”

Lyla is never trusting me with her child ever again, Felicity thought.

 

“Are you sure you have time?” Felicity whispered as they made their way downstairs. “I mean I could go get some and we could eat it in your office.”

“No. It’s beautiful outside, Sara needs some fresh air. And so do I, actually.”

He led them to a small ice-cream parlor, in the park behind the city hall. As they were waiting in line, Oliver told her about how it used to be Thea’s favorite place and where sometimes, after school, they would get a sundae with Raisa. She pictured him as a teenager, probably one that caused way too much trouble, but still a caring big brother. So different from the man he was today who, to be honest, looked slightly out of place with his formal suit in the outdated shop. He had rolled up his sleeves but despite the slightly more relaxed vibe it gave to his outfit, he still looked very much like a master of the universe kind of guy. Way too handsome, way too mysterious and charismatic.

At least for her own good. She gulped when he ruffled his hair, carefully reading the menu he was currently holding between his hands. His strong, capable hands that could be as deadly as they were sweet and tender with the ones he loved.

Felicity shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the menu as well. Oliver in a suit had always been her weakness.

After Oliver had paid for their sundaes - with humor since, as he told her, he finally had a job, they sat down at a small picnic table in the parc, Sara still on Oliver’s lap as he helped her with her spoon. She was handling it just fine, but digging into the ice-cream was the tricky part and after an almost incident involving strawberry ice-cream and Oliver’s immaculate white dress shirt, he had taken matter into his own hands.

“You’re good at this,” Felicity noted quietly as he juggled between Sara’s dessert and his own sundae.

“I was twelve when Thea was this age. I guess I remember a few tricks,” he grinned, licking his spoon.

“You make it look so easy. And all I’ve done today is tell her about pot plants and bribe her with toys,” she sighed, munching of her cone.

“… what?” Oliver chuckled.

She quickly told him about her encounter in the front of the flower shop and he laughed, a full belly laugh that warmed her heart. The last months had been tough, on all of them. Darhk, Laurel dying, Dig leaving, Thea following him a few days later, even though she was just spending some time with Roy… they had had a lot to process and not many occasions to smile.

Sara eventually finished her sundae, leaning back against Oliver’s chest, a small hand rubbing her belly with a deep, satisfied sigh. She and Oliver shared an amused look at her obvious contentment as they finished their own sundaes. Oliver told her about the city council and the progress they were making, and she listened to him, her cheek resting on her hand, so happy to see him finally working into the light, finally giving his life a meaning outside of the Green Arrow business. He had come such along way.

Sara was quiet, gazing at the trees and squirrels, playing with Oliver’s tie and the vision suddenly woke something in Felicity that she didn’t even know still existed. Longing. Not only for the man but for… for that. For the future, for children, for a family. She knew that she still loved him. She had made her peace with that. She was mostly struggling in accepting that she might have to settle for the second best and she didn’t want to. But she also didn’t know if she could trust him again. And you didn’t commit to someone you didn’t trust. In short… it was a serious case of the snake biting its own tail.

She tried not to focus too much on the picture they were making, and it broke something deep inside her to know that this was what they should have had. She knew how much Oliver had wanted children, she had often seen the longing in his eyes, especialy in Ivy Town when they had started their little domestic life. She knew that he had sent WIlliam away because he thought he couldn’t allow himself to take that step. Involve a child in his life. Yet, just the idea that one day, in the far future, he might be sharing those moments with someone else… it felt wrong. It felt so completely, utterly wrong.

“When is Lyla getting her back?” Oliver suddenly asked, forcing her out of her introspection.

“Tonight. She asked me to give her a bath and put her in her PJs so she’ll only have to put her to bed. She might be quite late.”

“Oh. I guess you’re going to make her dinner, then.”

Felicity’s face dropped at his words. She was supposed to make dinner. For a toddler. She couldn’t order pizza or sushi or buy a salad at the nearby deli. A toddler needed to eat… stuff. Probably healthy stuff. Like… steamed vegetables.

“I’ve never made steamed vegetables,” she blurted out, her eyes wide.

“… did Lyla ask you to?” Oliver frowned.

“No but… when we eat together, she always has a side of vegetables and… when they eat at the loft, Lyla brings her food because apparently she is quite picky.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find something.”

_Something? Yeah… great. That poor thing is going to starve because my idea of a healthy dinner is to ask for mushrooms on my pizza._

“Sara what do you like to eat for dinner?” Oliver asked the little girl.

“Rilled cheese.”

“See? Easy. Grilled cheese sandwich, get a few berries for dessert… it’s not because she doesn’t eat vegetables one day that it’s going to be the end of the world,” Oliver reassured her. “Especially if her routine has been messed up.”

“Yeah… yeah, I guess,” Felicity said, biting her lips. She had fruits at the loft, and everything to make a grilled cheese sandwich. She should be fine.

Oliver eventually had to go back to work and after a sticky kiss, he solemnly pinned his new piece of art to the wall, next to the other ones. It was almost 4PM when Felicity walked back to the loft, Sara falling asleep after a couple of minutes. She quickly unstrapped the little girl, carrying her to the small bed she had made for her in the guest room. After placing pillows all around her to make sure she wouldn’t fall, Felicity tip toed back to the living room, slumping on the couch with a deep sigh.

Kids were exhausting. In the nerve-wracking sense of the word.

 

They were just finishing their dinner, Sara shoving raspberries in her mouth as if her life depended on it, when the doorbell rang.

“Oh,” Felicity said as she opened the door, unable to keep the smile off her face when she saw a sheepish looking Oliver. “Come in.”

“I’m sorry for dropping by but… I thought you might like some help or… company.”

“No, no, you did well. We’re just finishing dinner. Did you eat?”

“No, not yet but…”

“Let me make you a sandwich. That’s something I can actually do if I focus on it,” she smirked as he took his jacket off, Sara clapping her hands, making them messier than they already were.

“You want raberry?” she asked generously, presenting her small plate to Oliver. Felicity couldn’t hide her grin at the grimace Oliver made when he saw the mess Sara had made, with half-eaten fruits and others almost mashed.

“No, thank you. No dessert before dinner, you know the rule,” he thanked her as he kissed her forehead.

“Thank God for the rules, right?” Felicity teased him as she opened the fridge, gathering enough ingredients to make a sandwich.

Felicity let Sara watch a cartoon while Oliver ate his sandwich and she forced herself to swallow back the little pinch of pain that this… this wasn’t their normal life. She missed it. So much more than she had thought. The quiet domesticity they had shared, living in a home together… it was gone and she realized that she was missing it almost as much as she missed him.

One would have thought that after almost six months, she would have gotten used to her new normal. And she had in a way. But not enough for her to be able to look at the past with no regrets.

She had never been more thankful for Oliver dropping by than when bath time came. An overly enthusiast two-year-old in a tub full of bubbles proved to be a bit too much for her. She tried holding Sara with one hand while washing her face but that didn’t work, the little munchkin being extremely sneaky when it came to avoid the washcloth. Which was ironic since she - apparently - loved bath time.

That’s how Felicity learned a hard truth: Apparently, bath time with a toddler required two grown-ups and, preferably, at least one trained as a vigilante.

“How does Lyla do that by herself?!” Felicity panted as she rested her back against the tub, Sara’s loud squeals echoing in the bathroom.

Oliver stopped trying to mop up the floor and sat down on the edge, keeping a hand hovering over Sara’s head. He wiped his forehead, slightly out of breath himself.

“I have no idea. I knew she was a tough one but damn it… I was far from the truth.” He suddenly froze as Sara forcefully hit the water, splashing soapy liquid all over him, then proceeded to howl with gleeful laughter.

Felicity bit her lips, hiding her smile behind her hand as Oliver locked his jaw, scrunching up his nose.

“Don’t you dare,” he gritted through his teeth as he grabbed a towel.

“I didn’t say anything,” she squeaked, her voice almost as high pitched as Sara’s. “But you have a bit of foam in your hair.”

He glared at her, drying his hair then dropped the towel on the floor before grabbing another one. “Come on Sara, bath time over.”

_… I have a feeling it’s not gonna be that easy, Oliver…_

“We should have let her play in the bath.”

“We can’t exactly leave a child in a bath for hours, Felicity.”

“She wouldn’t have minded.”

“Lyla would have.”

“I’m pretty sure having to pick up a screaming toddler is going to make her mind even more.”

“She’s going to calm down.”

“You said that thirty minutes ago.”

“Not helping.”

“Sorry,” Felicity sighed as she looked at Oliver struggling to untangle Sara’s hair. She had been the one in charge of the whole drying and dressing part, Oliver promising he would handle the hair. A decision, she could clearly see, he was regretting bitterly.

If Sara had seemed to have a soft spot for Oliver, judging by her behavior at his office and once he had stopped by the loft, the infatuation hadn’t survived the fact that he had been the one to stop her bath.

_Ah, young love…_

“I want mommy,” Sara suddenly wailed, her anger turning into sadness in a blink of an eye.

Oliver shared a panicked look with Felicity who had to physically restrain herself from running for the door.

“Mommy is going to be here soon. And she is going to be so proud of you for being such a good girl!” Oliver cooed her. “You’ve eaten your dinner, had your bath, you made a beautiful drawing for me and Aunt Felicity told me you even helped her make dinner!”

Sara rubbed her eyes, tears falling quietly as she nodded. “I put the cheese on the b’ead.”

“Wow! You are such a big girl now!” Oliver said softly, drying up her tears. “The cheese is the most important part of the grilled cheese sandwich!”

“It is?” Sara sniffled, reaching out for her favorite teddy bear that Felicity was handing her.

“Oh, yes, yes it is,” Felicity nodded as she sat down next to her. “I don’t think we would have had anything to eat if you hadn’t helped me.”

Sara stared at her with wide eyes but didn’t reply, just reaching for her. Felicity took her from Oliver’s arms, settling her on her lap, stroking her hair quietly.

“We should finish that cartoon, shouldn’t we?”

Sara nodded, sniffling one last time as Oliver tried to get her to blow her nose. It took a few tries, Sara always blowing through her mouth, but eventually they all settled down on a couch, the toddler clinging to Felicity. Oliver slowly stroked her back, his arm thrown behind Felicity’s shoulders.

She eventually fall asleep about twenty minutes later, her breathing slow and quiet and none of them dared to move an inch in fear she might wake up.

Felicity shared a look with Oliver who sheepishly smiled, his hand still tracing small circles over Sara’s back.

“You made it,” he whispered, so low that she barely heard him.

“Thank you,” she mouthed, feeling quite proud of herself. Everyone was still alive, Sara had eaten, taken a bath and had a clean butt.

_Mission accomplished._


	2. Emergency

“Mister Mayor, what is going to be your main focus for the next four years concerning the economy?”

Oliver smiled at the reporter, the same superficial, formal smile he had given to reporters all day long. His PR chief had decided that it would be a good idea to show the amount of time and hard work he dedicated to his job, and how hard it was to vote budgets and get things into motion after the disastrous history of the position. He had quite reluctantly agreed but had been unable to deny that the people had every right to be doubtful and since it would take a long time to get Star City back on track, it made a lot of sense to actually show exactly why.

As he gave his long, planned, prepared answer he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. For the fourth time in the last ten minutes. His fingers ticking, he forced himself to stay focused, but when he got another message some thirty seconds later, he couldn’t take it anymore. He quickly excused himself, his spokesman taking over for him and trying to fill in the gaps while he made his way to his office, down the hall. Fishing in his pocket, his jaw locked when he saw who had tried to reach him.

 **Felicity, 4:43PM:** I tried to call you but you’re not answering. Could you call me back ASAP?

 **Felicity, 4:47PM:** Right now would be a great time.

 **Felicity 4:50PM:** 911

 **Felicity, 4:52PM:** MAYDAY MAYDAY

He was already calling her number before he even made it to the last text, his insides churning at the horrifying mental pictures of Felicity in danger, Felicity kidnapped, Felicity held hostage at a bank or even Felicity stuck at the loft with intruders.

“Oliver?” she answered right away, and he could hear, with just that one word, that she was out of breath.

“Felicity? Are you OK?” he asked as he shut the door of his office, already getting rid of his tie.

“No,” she replied in a small trembling voice. “Oliver, I’m a terrible person.”

Oliver paused as he was picking up his car keys. “… What are you talking about? Where are you?”

“I said the F-word. I said the F-word in front of a two years-old,” Felicity sniffled.

“Oh,” Oliver said as he sat down, his heart calming down. “And that is the emergency? Mayday mayday?”

“… I panicked.”

“What did Sara say?” he smiled, sitting comfortably on his chair, feeling slightly guilty at the idea of the reporters waiting for him not far away but the idea of a normal conversation with Felicity won the battle. They had talked, and quite a lot, since last May but it was mostly related to Team Arrow business, or the city, or even Lance and Donna. They had only started to get back to more casual, light conversations a couple of weeks ago. And he had missed those so much that he wasn’t ready to sacrifice a single one of them.

“… she’s two. She repeated it, that sneaky little thing,” Felicity whispered, her words muffled as if she was covering her phone.

“Well… it happens,” Oliver shrugged. He knew kids that age had a natural talent to hear what they were not supposed to hear and then say it back.

“… It happens? It happens?! That’s… that’s all you have to say?” she hissed and Oliver grinned, knowing she was probably frowning.

“It was bound to happen, Felicity. I don’t think it’s a big deal. Did you tell her it’s a bad word?”

“Yes. Of course I did! I even tried to bribe her with money but she’s too young… so…”

“So?”

“We’re at the toy store.”

“… again?”

“It was an emergency, OK?”

“And you needed me because…?”

“I told you. I panicked and… I forgot my wallet.”

Oliver couldn’t hold back his chuckle as he stood up. “You need me to come and pay for the toys you bought in exchange of Sara’s silence?”

“… yes. Although I’m not buying her silence, just giving her incentive. It’s… it’s not the same.”

“Sure it’s not.”

“The ice-cream, now that was me technically buying her silence.”

“Toy store **and** ice-cream?”

“It was a desperate situation, Oliver. Measures had to be taken.”

 

Oliver rushed to the store, which was luckily only across the street. He found Felicity and Sara apparently in a deep debate over a small kitchen set.

He stopped in his tracks, allowing himself to enjoy the small view they were unknowingly offering him. Felicity was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, while the little girl was apparently comparing the different kitchen sets. And very thoroughly, judging by the serious frown on her face.

“No fwidge?” Sara asked, turning her head to Felicity.

“Well that’s true, this one has no fridge… but it has a coffee maker!”

“Mommy says no coffee for Sara.”

Oliver bit back a smile, leaning on a shelf. It suddenly reminded him of that time, two years ago, when he had walked into a hospital room, finding Felicity looking over a newborn. The longing he had felt had been brutal in its intensity and it had never gone away ever since then. It had calmed down, but it was still lingering, now mixed with regrets and bitterness that his own choices were the reason why his deepest desire would never be fulfilled. A family with Felicity. Oh… how much he had dreamed of it. Two little girls with glasses, just like her, that would probably have him wrapped around their little fingers. And one boy, as troublesome as he had been during his own childhood but Felicity would know exactly how to handle him just like she had always known how to handle the father.

The father. Of Felicity’s children. Oliver gulped, blinking the tears away. He still wanted this so desperately. With her. Only with her. 

“Uncle ‘Liver!” Sara grinned when she eventually saw him, efficiently interrupting his thoughts. 

He saw Felicity’s relieved face as she jumped to her feet and he shook his head as he knelt down to hug Sara, trying to avoid getting hit with small frying pan she was currently holding.

“Are you guys buying a new kitchen for auntie Felicity?” he asked, stroking Sara’s chubby cheek.

“No. Auntie Felicity can’t cook. This is for Sara,” the toddler answered, already letting go of him and going back to her inspection.

Oliver chuckled as he turned to face a sheepish-looking Felicity.

“Thank you,” she winced, shifting on her feet. “I’ll make a bank transfer as soon as I get home, just so you know.”

“That’s not necessary. Just… how exactly do you plan on going back to the loft with a kitchen set, a toddler  **and** a stroller?”

“Oh, no. We’re not buying it now. It’s going to be her birthday soon, and I told her she would get it for her birthday, not before.”

“But I can have the… the… fire…” Sara chimed in, her little nose scrunching up as she tried to remember the right word.

“The frying pan,” Felicity finished for her. “Yes, you can have the frying pan today.”

They quickly made their way to the cashier, Oliver paying for the toys. Apart from said frying pan, there was yet another doll, two books and a little pony.

“You do know you can’t keep on buying her stuff? Lyla is bound to come after your ass,” he whispered as he put his credit card back in his wallet.

“Hush. Those are all staying at the loft so Sara has a few things to play with when she comes over. It’s perfectly reasonable.”

As they walked outside of the store, Sara securely strapped in her stroller, the pony and the doll on each side of her, he shoved his hands in his pockets, knowing he was supposed to head back to work but really not wanting to.

“I should get going… there is a room full of people probably thinking I got kidnapped or killed.”

Felicity laughed. “As if it was possible. But you’re right. They don’t know that.” She suddenly stopped herself, her eyes wide as she nervously twisted her hands “Oh my God. I didn’t even think… You’re the Mayor now. You can’t suddenly… I’m so sorry, Oliver. You should have told me, I would have-”

“Hey. It’s OK. They can survive fifteen minutes without me,” he interrupted her softly. “And we had an emergency, after all.”

She smiled shyly. “Thank you. I promise I’ll… be more rational next time.”

“You mean when you drop the s-bomb?” he asked, perking an eyebrow. “‘Cause I’d rather if you didn’t. For Lyla’s sake mostly.”

Felicity glared at him and he folded his lips over his teeth, holding back a chuckle. He eventually cleared his throat, keeping the laugh at bay. “I’ll see you… well. Tonight, I guess?”

Wincing, Felicity swiftly made sure Sara wasn’t paying attention. “I can’t come to the bunker. Lyla asked to me look after Sara. I was going to let you know, but then the F-bomb happened and…”

“Oh,” Oliver said, trying to not let his disappointment show too much. “Yeah, of course. I’ll just… I’ll probably head down there just in case then.”

“You know, things have been quiet. You can come for dinner if you want to? Sara asked after you. I know it’s not obvious with her behavior right now but new toys always win, it’s a hard truth I recently learned.”

“You sure? I mean I don’t want to…” Oliver trailed off. _I don’t want to assume things. I don’t want to impose myself. I don’t want to pressure you._

“I’m sure,” Felicity smiled, squeezing his arm reassuringly. She suddenly let go, her face taking a lovely shade of pink and he felt something close to hope growing inside his chest. It had been a long time since he had seen Felicity blushing because of him. And God, he had missed it.

“I should be done soon, the reporters were supposed to leave by 5:30 anyway.”

“We can wait for you. If you want to. I mean, no pressure but…”

“I’d love that,” he rushed to say, afraid she might change her mind.

“We might have to stop at the grocery store though… the fridge is…”

“Empty. Except for probably a couple of yogurts and some fruits,” he finished for her, winking. Felicity’s eating habits had been quite… unique before they had started to live together.

She huffed out a small laugh as they waited at the crosswalk. “You know me well.”

“Always have,” Oliver answered quietly. _Always will._


	3. Saturday Brownies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baking time!

“Now, we add one tea spoon… that’s the little spoon next to your sippy cup, Sara… one tea spoon of baking powder. Do you remember where is the baking powder?” Oliver asked gently while checking the chocolate that was slowly melting on the stove. **  
**

“No!” The little girl’s voice startled him and he turned around, facing a wide-eyed Felicity, her hand frozen on the small bowl of sugar. He bit back a smile as Sara explained the best she could with her toddler-knowledge of cuisine vocabulary.

“Uncle ‘Liver said sugar in blue cup, ba… bakin poud in pink cup!” Sara scolded Felicity, pointing a chubby little finger towards the right ingredient.

Felicity had the decency to look embarrassed by the fact that a two-year old was actually better at recognizing ingredients than she was and she sheepishly put the bowl of sugar back on the counter.

Oliver cleared his throat. “That’s right. The baking powder is in the pink cup. One tea spoon, Felicity.”

She glared at him while guiding Sara’s little fist and he smiled innocently, wiping his hands on a towel. It was the first Saturday afternoon he had free ever since stepping up as Mayor and when Felicity had shyly offered him to stop at the loft, he hadn’t hesitated once second. He had promised Sara they would make brownies together one day and it had seemed like the perfect occasion. Of course, he had not taken into consideration Felicity’s famous lack of any kind of aptitude in the kitchen department. He had imagined two adults supervising a kid, not an adult, a toddler and a genius who was apparently suffering from a very sudden and unexplainable case of daltonism. It would never cease to amuse him how Felicity could probably completely dismantle his kitchenaid, build it back up and improve a couple of its functionalities as well, but baking a simple chocolate cake was an insurmountable challenge for her.

“Done,” Sara announced proudly once she had poured the baking powder in the bowl. She rested her hands on the table, obviously expecting his instructions for the next step while Felicity was already eyeing the chocolate in the small saucepan behind him.

He knew that chocolate was Felicity’s weakness and he’d be lying if he said that he hadn’t picked that delicacy partly to please her. Their relationship had grown into something much more natural in the past two weeks, the two of them finding some kind of balance. He knew that the lines were getting more and more blurry, because it was one thing to work as partners and sometimes share a meal together, but spending so much time at the loft was something completely different. It had been their home, they had made love in about every corner of the apartment, talked and kissed and planned their future in that very kitchen.

It had been bitter-sweet, at first, to come back as a guest. But as the days went by, it became almost as natural as it had used to be. Felicity was asking him to stop by more often as well, even though she didn’t really need his help anymore with Sara. It became an habit, every night Felicity had Sara he would stop by after his work and she would order dinner, then they would all settle on the couch to watch a cartoon.

Lyla had found some kind of a routine with ARGUS. She was staying at home until noon, making sure to be back in time to put Sara to bed. The rest of the time, it was usually Felicity who took care of the little girl if Sara’s favorite nanny wasn’t available.

A quick glance at the stove confirmed that the chocolate was completely melted and, lifting the saucepan, he grabbed a wooden spoon on the counter.

“Sara I need you to hold the bowl. Can you do that for me?” he asked as he gave one last stir.

“Yes,” she nodded seriously, her hands sprawling around the bowl that held the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients she had combined with Felicity’s help.

He threw a quick glance at Felicity, relieved to see her holding the bowl as well. She smiled reassuringly and he proceeded to pour the warm liquid while stirring delicately.

“Mmmhh,” Sara hummed when she smelt the rich scent that was coming from the saucepan.

Chuckling, Oliver grinned when he saw Felicity licking her lips as well, both girls completely oblivious to his presence. Sara let go of the bowl, reaching on her knees to get a better look of the magic that was happening, the white powdery mixture now turning into a dark, yummy batter. Oliver grabbed the bowl, his hand brushing with Felicity’s and he was surprised to see she didn’t move away. He thought she hadn’t realized at first but the small blush that invaded her cheeks told him differently.

“What do you say, do you want white chocolate chips?” he asked Sara after he had added the eggs.

“Yes!” she clapped her hands and Felicity reached out, her palm hovering over Sara’s back, making sure she wouldn’t fall from the tall stool.

He rummaged through the bag of groceries he had bought, fishing out the small package he was looking for. Not bothering with a pair of scissors, he ripped it open with his teeth and paused for a second when he saw Felicity’s eyes dropping to his lips, following each of his movements. He hid his smirk by turning around and pretending to look for the 9x9 covered pan, while knowing very well it was probably where he had left it months ago.

His face was serious when he finally added the chocolate chips and poured the batter into the pan, sliding it in the oven. He put the bowl back on the counter, having promised Sara she could lick it clean if she behaved well. Setting the timer, he gathered the dishes, quickly doing the washing up in order to make sure the kitchen was as spotless as it had been when he had arrived.

When he turned around to see if he could get the last bowl back, he huffed out a laugh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “... you’re covered in chocolate.”

“Oh, let me help you,” Felicity giggled as she turned Sara’s face towards her, her thumb clearing the little trace of chocolate on the corner of her lips. “There you go, all clean.”

Oliver pinched his lips at the sight of Sara, completely unfazed, too busy licking the spatula to pay attention to what Felicity was doing.

“... I wasn’t talking about her,” he eventually said, unable to keep his laugh at bay. Felicity had smears of chocolate on her chin and cheeks, probably coming from the hand that was currently wiping the bowl clean of batter.

“Mmh?” she asked him distractingly, her eyes wide while she sucked on her finger.

He smiled at her, shaking his head as he pointed to his own face, mouthing, “chocolate.”

“Uncle ‘Liver helps Auntie now,” Sara said seriously, disregarding the now spotless spatula and eyeing the bowl.

Oliver coughed, observing Felicity who was trying to get rid of the chocolate. He shifted on his feet then eventually walked around the counter, grabbing a paper towel on his way.

“May I?” he asked as he stopped by Felicity’s side. He saw her hesitation and he held his breath, because no matter how innocent the gesture was, it was still something he wasn’t allowed to do freely, at least not like he used to. She eventually nodded when Sara chirped a small “No clean face, no dessert.”

Tilting her head up, she held still while he quickly got rid of the small traces of batter she had on her face. He was still holding her chin in his hand when he met her eyes and he found himself struggling to breathe, his thumb automatically stroking the corner of her lips. She didn’t make a move, didn’t try to pull away, her eyes shining bright, full of an emotion he hadn’t seen in what seemed like forever.

Longing.

She leaned into his hand, her own fingers wrapping around his wrist and he smiled, a small hesitant smile that she reciprocated hesitantly.

“Oops,” Sara gasped, a quarter of a second before a loud clinging noise interrupted their gazing.

Felicity jumped, the sound of the metallic bowl hitting the floor efficiently breaking the moment.

Oliver quickly leaned down to pick up the dish but bumped into Felicity who probably had the same instinct.

“Shi.... oot!” she yelped, rubbing her forehead while he picked up the bowl and placed it back on the counter.

“I’m sorry,” he winced, his fingers already checking her head. “Are you OK?”

“Yeah… yeah. I’ll live. With a bump, probably,” she grumbled, hissing when he pressed the sore zone.

“You need magic kiss,” Sara stated calmly, resting her elbows on the counter. “If you have magic kiss, no more ouchie.”

Felicity’s eyes shifted, her mouth slightly agape.

“Good idea. Sara, can you kiss Aunt Felicity’s ouchie better?” Oliver asked, putting her out of her misery.

“Uh-uh,” Sara shook her head. “Only gr… gro…”

“Grown-ups?” Felicity offered.

“Yes. Only grow’ ups can do magic kisses. Daddy told me.”

“Well… if daddy said so…” Felicity mumbled, then added under her breath, “he’s so going to hear about his great theories when he comes back.”

Oliver pinched his lips and a glance at Sara confirmed that she wouldn’t let it go. He gently cradled Felicity’s face, trying very hard not to think about all the times he had done it before, then pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, allowing himself to savor the feel of her skin under his lips before pulling away.

“There,” Sara nodded approvingly. “No more ouchie, now.”

Felicity avoided his eyes as she stood up, grabbing the bowl and the spatula and taking them to the sink. He scooped Sara up, knowing he should at least wash her hands. After a quick stop in the bathroom, they joined Felicity who had finished tidying the kitchen while they were gone and was now setting a coloring book and a pencil case on the small table she had bought for Sara.

He put the toddler on the floor, watching her jog her way to what she called “her office, like mommy” and joined Felicity who was leaning against the counter.

They both watched the little girl, avoiding the elephant in the room until he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want to be inappropriate,” he apologized, knowing she’d probably understand he was talking about the small kiss.

“No. No, don’t be silly. It was just a peck and… it’s not like she gave you much of a choice,” Felicity waved him off, letting out a small nervous laugh.

“Yeah… she really is John’s daughter, in many ways.”

“Tell me about it.” Felicity grinned fondly, finally meeting his eyes. She tilted her head, looking amused, and before he could ask her what was wrong, she was licking her thumb and rubbing his jaw.

“Flour,” she explained. “Not that easy to spot in your scruff.”

“At least I didn’t give Sara a run for her money.”

“Well, you know me… I’ve always been competitive.” She bumped his arm, and he had to physically restrain himself from throwing his arm around her shoulders. He threw a small glance at Sara who was busy, rambling to herself about fairies and he took a deep breath.

“Felicity…”

“Yep?”

“I… I’m not sure this is the right time or… if there will ever be a right time but… I just want you to know that… I actually don’t even know how to say it,” he huffed out a small embarrassed laugh. _How do you explain to your ex-fiancée, who had every right to dump your ass, by the way, that you still love her, and hope that maybe one day she could give you another chance? How do you do that and manage to not sound like a stalker and, more importantly, don’t ruin the progress you’ve made lately?_

“... maybe try with the beginning?” she smiled gently, tilting her head.

“I love spending time with you here at the loft,” he eventually blurted out, mentally rolling his eyes at his lack of eloquence.

“You mean with Sara? I know, it’s sweet, right? A bit nerve-wracking but-”

“No. Well, yes, of course with Sara. But also with you. Out of the bunker, out of the whole… Arrow business.”

“Oh.” She looked at him, her mouth opening in a little O of surprise.

He winced, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. This wasn’t really going according to his plans. “I mean, I love spending time with Sara, and with you and Sara, but also… just with you. I missed it.”

Felicity folded her lips over her teeth, nodding softly. “I missed it too, Oliver.”

_She missed it too. She missed it too!_

His heart started to beat faster, a small flutter of hope growing inside his chest.

“I just don’t want to rush anything, I don’t want to lead you on and… everything happened so fast between us last time. I mean we left in May, were living together by August, got engaged in December and were about to get married in March. And don’t get me wrong, because it felt right, it really did, but…”

“But we live complicated lives and maybe we should take the time to figure things out,” he finished for her.

“Yes. My feelings for you haven’t changed, but… with everything that happened, I’m afraid that getting back together now would be a mistake, would be us jumping again.”

“I understand,” he whispered softly. And he really did. He knew that the only way they could consider giving their relationship another try was if she fully trusted him and trust needed time to grow. She still loved him… that was all that mattered.

“Shioot!” Sara’s high-pitched scream echoed loudly in the loft when she dropped her pencil and Felicity gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she looked at him, horrified.

Oliver snorted, crossing his arms on his chest. “Well it could have been worse. It could have been the F-word.”

She slapped his chest, glaring at him. “Oliver, that’s not funny. Our kids will have the pottiest mouth of the playground!”

He took a short intake of breath and even though he knew she had spoken without thinking, the fact that she still envisioned the possibility of a family with him was all he needed to know.

All he had to do now was wait. Wait and show her, everyday, that she was his partner, in every meaning of the word.

And maybe one day, he’d spend his Saturday afternoon baking brownies with a blonde little girl in glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it... you can see that their relationship is slowly progressing too.  
> Next chapter should be in Felicity's PoV because some stuff happened and we need to hear her thoughts :p


	4. Grocery Store Musings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Here is chapter 4 of the chronicles ;)  
> Hope you'll enjoy it, you'll see things are starting to move in the right direction :p  
> Special thanks to Pidanka, as always <3

“… That’s ketchup, Felicity.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I said we needed vegetables.”

“Ketchup is made from tomatoes. It’s kind of a vegetable.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Felicity…”

“Oliver…”

She managed to keep the smile off her face by some miracle as they both glared at each other, the shopping cart between them. Oliver crossed his arms on his chest, raising an eyebrow. She mirrored his stance, silently daring him to put the ketchup back.

“Kessup!” Sara’s high-pitched voice forced her attention away from Oliver and this time she couldn’t help but smile at the view of the two-year-old crossing her arms like the grown-ups, her little head going from one to another.

“See? Two against one. You lose,” Felicity smirked, gently caressing Sara’s soft curls.

Oliver sighed, uncrossing his arms, but he obviously wasn’t about to cave in. “You choose: it’s the ketchup **or** the chicken cordon-bleu.”

Felicity gasped, shocked that he would actually stoop low enough to use blackmail. He knew how much she loved his chicken cordon-bleu. _Sneaky little bastard._

“… fine,” she eventually conceded. Oliver looked at her in triumph but she wasn’t about to let him savor his victory.

“But you’re gonna have to take that bottle of ketchup out of Sara’s arms.”

Oliver’s smile slipped from his face once he saw that the little girl was protectively holding the bottle close to her chest. He looked up at Felicity, his eyes begging and she knew she had won. There was no way he would ever be able to say no to Sara’s chubby cheeks.

“… Ketchup goes so well with chicken cordon-bleu, right, Sara?” Felicity asked innocently as she started to push the cart down the aisle.

“Uncle ‘Liver sad?” Sara asked, trying to peek behind Felicity.

“No… just a sore loser. You’ll see it’s a common trait in most men. Don’t let them win just to spare their ego, though. When you date, you should never-”

“Don’t talk to her about boys,” Oliver’s horrified voice reached her as he hurried to catch up with them. “You’re going to give her ideas!”

“Oliver, she’s two. I doubt she’s going to ask Lyla to let her go on a date with the cute little boy she saw at the bakery station.”

“Good. He looked sleazy.”

“Oliver!” She gasped, turning her head to him. He was sporting a frown, his jaw locked and his eyes stubbornly fixed ahead of him. “You can’t be serious!”

“He was ogling her, Felicity,” he hissed through his clenched teeth.

“He wasn’t ogling…” she stopped herself, holding back a laugh. She thought she had seen every aspect of Oliver Queen but it turned out that overprotective uncle was something she wasn’t exactly prepared for. “Oliver, he was drooling over the cookie she was holding in her hand!”

“Cookie?” Sara interrupted them with a bright smile. Oliver glared at her, and she couldn’t help but grin at the expression she saw on his face. The “you see what you’ve done?” expression. _And I’m not even sorry._

“Later, sweetheart. For dessert,” Oliver soothed the little girl. “And none for auntie Felicity because she keeps on giving you bad ideas.”

“Hey!”

Oliver sighed, looking pointedly at her. “Do I really need to remind you that time when you called me at the office? Or when we were making brownies? Or-”

Pinching her lips, Felicity turned the cart in the vegetables and fruits station. “No, I don’t think it will be necessary.”

The ghost of a smile stretched Oliver’s lips as he checked his list one more time. “OK, Sara, what kind of vegetable do you want?”

“Speechi!”

Oliver looked at Felicity and she shrugged, as confused as he was. They really needed some kind of online translator for toddlers.

“Speechi?” Oliver asked. “You means peaches? Those are fruits, not-”

“Speechi!” Sara frowned, frustration appearing on her little face when she realized they didn’t understand her and her voice started to grow louder. “Speechi! Speechi! Speechi!”

Felicity threw a glance around her, noticing people were beginning to look at them and she bit her lips nervously. _Please, Sara, no drama in the grocery store. Please, please, please…_

“Ooooh! Yes! Of course!” Oliver suddenly snapped his fingers and for a second, Felicity felt completely out of the loop, cursing her lack of knowledge when it came to healthy food. “You know what? I can’t see them. Why don’t you help me find them?”

_Oh… clever._

Sara nodded seriously, lifting her arms to be picked up and Oliver handed Felicity the list and pen he had been holding. He picked Sara up, settling her on his hip as they began to search through the aisles of fresh vegetables.

Felicity stayed behind, watching them closely as Oliver kept on pointing towards vegetables, asking for Sara’s help, pretending he couldn’t remember their names. The little girl was taking her job seriously, trying to identify as many as she could, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

A deep, sudden ache irradiated through her as Sara softly put her hand on Oliver’s jaw, a small giggle escaping her lips when his scruff scratched her fingers.

Longing.

It had been relatively easy to forget about a future with Oliver when she had been so busy dealing with the direct aftermath of their break-up. She had been focused on trying to live without him day by day, her brain and her heart probably not ready to face the long-lasting consequences as well.

But it was right there in front of her now. A family. She still wanted that with him. She still couldn’t see herself having a child with anybody else but him.

She had even slipped the week before, mentioning their future kids as if it was still something they would have one day, and not something they would eventually have to find with someone else.

The thing was… she didn’t want to share that with someone else. She couldn’t even fathom the idea of creating a family without Oliver. It was wrong. This, the grocery shopping on a Saturday afternoon with a little girl, was supposed to be them one day. And despite everything, despite the lie, the break-up, the betrayal and the pain… she knew deep down that she would never stop loving him. But was she ready? Was she ready to jump again? Was she ready to trust him, fully?

_… Of course you are. You already do._

The sound of a plastic bag dropping in the cart shook her out of her thoughts and she blinked when Oliver put Sara back on her little seat.

“Thank God Sara could show me where the **spinaches** were, because I almost walked right past them,” Oliver winked at her playfully then quickly sobered up, probably sensing something was off.

Putting his hand on her arm, he leaned in, his eyes full of concern as he whispered, “are you OK?”

“Yes,” Felicity squeaked, clearing her throat. “I just remembered I forgot some… something. Meet you at the cashier?”

“Are you sure?” She heard Oliver’s voice but she was already walking away. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts, because she knew a part of herself had just made an important decision, but she wasn’t sure if it was the right one. Or even the right time. She needed to think things through and maybe talk with someone.

 

 

“The thing is… I know I love mint chip. I know it in my bones. It’s always there when I need it, whether it’s to celebrate or to comfort me or when I’m PMSing. I’ve always been able to count on it, it was always there for me and I never, not once, thought that mint chip could betray me. I was ready to commit. For life. Only mint chip for me, until death do us part. Except it did betray me. One time. And now, I just don’t know if I’m ready to commit to another pint of mint chip, no matter how much I like it, no matter how good it smells and how good it looks in a three-piece suit. Maybe I need to try caramel fudge and maybe I’ll realize caramel fudge is almost as good and will also be there when I need it and won’t make me sick all of a sudden? Or maybe there is another flavor out there that will make me forget how good mint chip was?” Felicity sighed deeply, shaking her head. “I don’t know anymore… what do **you** think?”

“… I just asked if you wanted a free sample of our new sorbet,” the poor boy who had made the mistake to offer her a free small cup replied in a squeaky voice. “We have lemon and raspberry?”

“… raspberry,” Felicity grumbled, mentally cursing herself. Poor guy was barely 16 years old and she had probably traumatized him for life.

Allowing herself a few more minutes to wander aimlessly through the aisles, distractingly eating the small portion of ice-cream, Felicity decided that it was time to make a decision and stick with it. Either she had to force herself and try to move on, or try to rekindle things with Oliver, with no guarantee that it would be possible. Should she try to date someone else? Would it help? Prove herself that Oliver wasn’t the only man out there, no matter how exceptional he was?

Her - until then - nice sorbet suddenly left a bitter taste in her mouth. No. She didn’t want to date someone else and it would be stupidly stubborn to pretend otherwise.

What she needed was to grieve their past relationship properly, admit that it was gone and try to gather enough courage to give them another chance, in another dynamic. It wouldn’t be the same, they had both changed in those few months, but maybe, like for Lyla and Dig, the second try would be the right one?

“See, Sara? I knew she’d be here!”

A smile grew automatically on her lips when she heard his cheerful voice and Sara’s squeal of delight. The sight of Oliver Queen, ex-playboy, ex-CEO, ex-frat boy, ex-wealthy heir, domestically pushing a cart was something she probably would never really get used to. But it suited him. So well.

“We have everything we need,” Oliver explained as they approached her. Sara eyed the small cup she had almost finished and she caved in, letting her have the few last scoops.

“Good. Me too,” Felicity assured him with a smile as she cleaned Sara’s chin with a tissue.

She was throwing the now empty cup in a nearby bin when Oliver asked her, “what kind?”

“What kind of what?” she replied, frowning. Turning her head, she saw him in front of the freezer holding her favorite brand of ice-cream.

“You obviously wanted ice-cream so…” he trailed off, his eyes questioning.

Felicity bit her lips, hesitating, knowing the answer to that question was much more important than what kind of delicacy she was going to allow herself tonight. Oliver, of course, was completely oblivious to the small debate she had had with herself and he was about to say something when she interrupted him.

“Mint chip.”

_Mint chip is worth a second chance._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...? Any thoughts??  
> Do you like the direction I'm taking with this? It is clearly a fic on the fluff side, so I won't linger too much on their break-up and why they broke up (I have another 4.5 series that will actually get more into that, it's called the Bunker UST for those who are interested) and focus on them finding their way back ;)
> 
> Find me on twitter @Pimsiepim or tumblr pimsiepim.tumblr.com  
> Don't be shy, come say hi ;)


	5. Let It Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> A new chapter of these two... hope you'll like it, it is slightly different in a way ;)
> 
> Special thanks to pidanka for her help, as usual :)

**Felicity 5:32PM: That’s it. I’m writing her out of my will.**

Chuckling, Oliver quickly glanced around the conference table. He was at the city hall, attending a small presentation for a new project concerning the transportation. Thankfully, everyone was paying close attention to the screen and he quickly typed his answer.

**Oliver 5:38PM: You have a will? And Sara is included?**

**Felicity 5:39Pm: Yes, I do and yes, she is. You don’t have a will? Oliver… if there’s one of us who should have a will, it’s you. And big Sara. Although you guys keep on coming back, so I guess a will would be redundant.**

**Felicity 5:45PM: I swear to God, I’m going to find the SOB who wrote that stupid song and tie him up on a chair and make him listen to it on a loop.**

Oliver did his best to bite back his smile as he read her text, distractingly listening to his chief of staff. Sara had been addicted to Frozen for a few weeks now, even if she was still too young to really understand it.

**Oliver 5:48PM: The snowman song, again?**

**Felicity 5:50PM: Yes. That stupid fucking snowman song. I don’t want to build a snowman. I don’t even want it to be winter. Ever again.**

**Oliver 5:51PM: Come on, it can’t be that bad.**

**Felicity 5:52PM: She doesn’t want to watch the movie, Oliver. She just asks for the scene over and over again. I’m losing my sanity, here.**

**Oliver 5:57PM: I’m almost done here. Have you guys already had dinner?**

**Felicity 5:57PM: No. We’re having the broccoli casserole you made for us. You eating with us?**

**Oliver 6:01PM: If you don’t mind?**

**Felicity 6:01PM: Silly, you’re the one who cooked ;)**

**Oliver 6:07PM: Meeting over. I should be there in about twenty minutes.**

**Felicity 6:13PM: Just put the casserole in the oven.**

**Felicity 6:15PM: Wait, was I supposed to take the plastic off?**

**Felicity 6:15PM: Kidding :p**

**Felicity 6:16PM: … I wasn’t supposed to leave it on, right? Cause it’s in the trash right now.**

Oliver laughed as he pressed the button of the elevator, knowing it was too late to reassure her anyway.

One minute later, he was knocking on her door then, not waiting for an answer, walking in. He stopped dead in his track when he saw Lyla putting Sara’s jacket on and Felicity nowhere in sight.

Sara squealed when she saw him, wiggling out of her mother’s arms and trotting her way to him. Smiling, Oliver bent his knees, picked her up to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Why, hello there. Already leaving Uncle Oliver?”

“Yes,” she nodded seriously, gazing at the scruff on his jaws, her little hands already reaching out. “Mommy surprise.”

“I can see that,” Oliver grinned softly, then turned to her mother. “Hi Lyla, good to see you. Where’s Felicity?”

“Hi, Oliver,” Lyla grinned as she picked up her purse. “She’s upstairs, grabbing the rest of Sara’s stuff. I finished early and wanted to surprise this little one.”

Oliver smiled, genuinely happy to see the big grin on the toddler’s face. Yet, he was feeling a little pinch of disappointment. He had thought he would get to spend the evening with Felicity and Sara, looking forward to the couple of hours where he could finally relax and feel at home.

“You’re not staying for dinner?”

“No, thank you. John should call us later on and it’s been a few days since I’ve had a quiet dinner at home.”

Lightly bouncing Sara on his hip, Oliver nodded, understanding her need for a small quiet night at home. After all, that was what he had been looking for merely two minutes ago... except that this was just another reminder that the loft wasn’t his home. This whole situation wasn’t his home.

“There you go, I have everything,” Felicity exclaimed as she rushed down the stairs, holding a bag. “Do you want some casserole? There is plenty.”

“No, thank you, I’m afraid I already caved in and promised pizza,” Lyla grimaced, grabbing the bad and swinging it over her shoulder.

Sara shifted in Oliver’s arms, leaning towards her mother and he let her go, feeling a pang of regret in his chest when her small weight left his embrace.

“So you won’t need me this Friday, right?” Felicity asked as she walked her guests to the door.

“No. I’ll be staying home all day, paperwork.”

“And Elsa!” Sara chirped, clapping her hands.

Lyla sighed, sharing a look with Felicity. “Yes… and Elsa.”

Oliver bit back his smile at the look of despair crossing both women’s face.

“Bye Aunt Fe’ty, bye Uncle ‘Liver!” Sara waved her hand, looking at them across her mother’s shoulder as they made their way to the elevator.

Felicity softly closed the door when they entered the elevator and rubbed her hands together, avoiding his eyes as if she was uncomfortable.

“Sorry, Lyla arrived and I didn’t have the time to warn you,” she winced as she walked to the kitchen.

“No, it’s… it’s fine.”

Should he go now? He had taken the habit to stop by for dinner when Sara was there, it had actually even become a habit but suddenly the loft felt very empty and very quiet and he wasn’t sure Felicity actually wanted him to stay.

“You know, maybe I should go too?” He eventually asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. He really didn’t want to, but also didn’t want to pressure Felicity into having him in her home.

“What? No!” Felicity exclaimed, her eyes big. She shook her head, grabbing a couple of plates from the counter. “I mean, there is this gigantic casserole, you’re here, I’m here…”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to… intrude or something…” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No. You’re not. Please, stay and keep me company. Tell me about your day,” she assured him with a smile as she opened the oven.

“Not sure me talking about boring meetings will be good company,” Oliver huffed out a laugh as he proceeded to grab the cutlery and set the table.

“As long as it doesn’t involve snowmen, I will consider it an improvement over the rest of my day.”

Laughing, he shrugged off his jacket, getting rid of his tie. He sighed in relief when he undid the first two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves, only to stop himself when he saw Felicity’s wide eyes staring at him.

She visibly gulped, her eyes travelling down his throat then pausing on where his hand was finishing bundling a sleeve over his elbow.

Even if she was on the other side of the counter, he could see the way her breathing hitched and couldn’t help but smirk, a primitive part of him feeling ridiculously smug that he still had an effect on her. He remembered how she had once told him, around the time where his campaign for mayor had started almost a year ago, that she had a gigantic weakness for the way he could “fill out a formal suit”. The night he had made his official announcement to run for mayor, Felicity had literally jumped him as soon as they had made it back to the loft. They hadn’t even made it to the bedroom and had fallen asleep on the couch, their limbs tangled, and he could still remember the way she had gripped his tie and straddled him with a hard, confident look on her face.

“Do you have some wine?” he eventually asked, pretending to not have noticed her behavior.

“What?” Felicity answered, distractingly, her eyes now travelling down to his hips.

“Wine? Do you have wine? To drink?” he explained, unable to keep the satisfied grin off his face.

“Sure. Yeah. Wine!” She seemed to shake off her trance and opened the fridge. “White wine is good with broccoli and fish casserole, right?”

“Yup.”

He watched, amused, as she poured herself a glass and gulped it down, purposely avoiding to look at him.

He had noticed a shift in her behavior in the last few days, and didn’t exactly know what had caused the change. She was more fidgety, and had babbled more in the last week than in the last six months. At first he had thought it was because spending so much time with him was making her uncomfortable, but seeing she kept on asking him to stop by and stay a bit longer, it seemed like this wasn’t the reason.

There was a small fluttering hope growing in his chest, but he didn’t dare to listen to it just yet.

They had been growing closer, little by little, finding a new balance, a new footing outside of the Arrow business and he didn’t want to jinx it by getting his hopes up.

Once they sat down, he proceeded to tell her about that never-ending meeting he had to go through. He wanted to be able to reopen the metro stations within the next three years, and they were currently trying to find a way to gather enough public funds.

He was so engrossed in the topic that he didn’t notice at first the way she was playing with her food, barely eating at all. He frowned, looking at his almost empty plate, wondering if somehow she had stopped loving broccoli.

“Is everything OK?” he finally asked as she was pushing a small piece of white fish around her plate.

“Yep. Peachy,” she grinned reassuringly, taking another sip of wine.

“Are you sure? You’re barely eating.”

“No. It’s fine. It’s delicious, actually. I was just…” she stopped herself, taking a deep breath, setting her hands on the table.

“... you were just?” he encouraged her, putting his fork down. There clearly was something bothering her and once again, he wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have stayed.

Pinching her lips, she avoided his eyes, then slowly exhaled. “What would you say about us going out for dinner?”

He raised his eyebrows, caught off guard. “... There’s something wrong with the food?”

Quickly picking up his fork, he took another bite, frowning. No. There was nothing wrong with his casserole. It tasted like broccoli, white fish and cheese.

Felicity huffed out a small laugh, her hand rubbing her forehead nervously. “Not now. I didn’t mean dinner now. I meant like… another day. Friday, for instance.”

Oliver blinked. “That’s the day after tomorrow.”

“Well… yes.”

“Do you have to go somewhere for Palmer Tech?”

Oliver knew that she still had obligations as the main shareholder and he had accompanied her once to a gala two months ago.

Tilting her head, she smoothed her napkin, her fingers lingering on the fabric. “No, it’s not Palmer Tech related, Oliver. I don’t have plans for Friday night and I just thought that maybe if you don’t either…”

Friday night.

Dinner.

Nervous Felicity.

_Is she…_

“... Felicity… are you asking me out on a date?” he asked, folding his lips over his teeth when he saw the small blush creeping across her cheeks.

“Well, yes. I guess that’s what I’m trying to do,” she grimaced. “I mean Lyla doesn’t need me on Friday and, I thought maybe we could go to that nice Thai restaurant that opened recently.”

“Sounds fine by me, I’ll make the reservation.” Oliver grinned widely, his heart beating faster in his chest. A date. A real date. In a restaurant. Hold the rocket this time... hopefully. He would pick her up, and she’d wear a gorgeous dress and they would get to talk, quietly, privately. He made a mental note to request a secluded table, wanting her to feel as comfortable as possible.

She smiled, a small, hopeful smile that made him want to reach across the table and kiss her senseless. As she picked up her fork, finally focusing on her food and eating with her usual enthusiasm, he found himself unable to swallow another bite. He knew everything wasn’t going to resolve itself with just one date. It would probably be a long process, but she was willing to give him a second chance and suddenly, this life he had dreamed about but thought he’d never get became a possibility again.

Pictures suddenly rushed into his head as he looked at her. White dress. House with a porch. Babies. A dog, maybe. Lots of bickering. More babies. Girls, boys, he didn’t care.

 _Liar…_ a little voice whispered in his head and he smiled, like the damn fool he was because yeah… a baby girl would bring him to his knees.

 _Don’t rush it, Queen. One step at a time and for the love of God… don’t screw up this time._ And it’s not his voice he heard in his head at that moment. No. It was Tommy’s. He could almost see him, smirking and rolling his eyes, wondering how on earth playboy Ollie Queen turned into this gigantic sap who’s already mentally picking his wedding cake.

_Idiot. I’ve had the wedding cake sorted a year ago._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... things are moving along just fine, aren't they? ;)
> 
> Tell me what you think!  
> You can also find me on twitter @PimsiePim or tumblr pimsiepim.tumblr.com  
> Don't be shy, come say hi!!


	6. Ducks, Kisses and Basic Brunettes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that SOTY is over, I can get back to writing and updating XD.
> 
> SInce it's been a while, remember, we left Oliver and Felicity at the loft where they had dinner and Felicity asked him out on a date :)  
> Thanks to pidanka who read this first and to every single one of you who comments, elaves kudos or reach out through tumblr/twitter. It means a lot, thank you ;)

Negotiations.

That was the key.

Handling a toddler required a lot of patience, energy and a bunch of negotiating skills.

So, the first thing Felicity had done when she had woken up that Thursday was coming up with a plan. She had reached her limits concerning Frozen and the idea of hearing that bloody song one more time was making her skin crawl. But banishing a two-year-old’s favorite Disney movie wasn’t exactly an easy task. She needed distraction. She needed a strategy.

She needed… a picnic in the park.

Which was the sole reason why she went grocery shopping at 9AM.

She was pushing her cart in the vegetables section when she froze, catching her reflection in a mirror. Messy bun on top of her head, old t-shirt, enough food to feed an army.

_Oh my God. I look like a soccer mom._

And not the good kind. Not the Bree Van de Kamp kind. No, no, no. She was Lynette Scavo. A childless Lynette Scavo.

Groaning, she grabbed a bag of baby carrots then made her way to the cashier, making a mental note to take an appointment for a mani-pedi. After all… it was fine going to the store looking like she had just gotten out of bed, but she had a date on Friday night. A very important date.

She was still wondering if she had made the right call. Was it too soon? Was she ready?

Honestly… she didn’t know. What she knew was that she wanted them to be able to talk, quietly, calmly. In neutral surroundings, if possible.

A mature, grown-up conversation.

That wasn’t causing butterflies in her stomach. Nope. Not at all.

As she was unloading her bags on the kitchen counter, some thirty minutes later, her eyes travelled to the brand new dress that was hanging on the stair rail. She wanted something he had never seen her in, something elegant, that would show him she cared about their date. That it wasn’t just a meal between friends. Truth be told, she had bought that dress three days ago, but it had taken her a bit of courage to ask him out.

Shaking her head, she glanced at the clock, knowing Lyla would drop Sara in one hour. Her talents in the kitchen being very limited, she settled for some finger food. Cheese, crackers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, some italian deli meat, olives. She was boiling eggs for her tuna salad sandwiches, her “Kiss the Cook” apron proudly tied around her waist, when she had a last-minute hesitation. What did Oliver usually add in his tuna salad? Was it celery or shallots?

 _… Let’s put both_.

She started to pack different containers in the fridge, washing the fruits and vegetables. She quickly made a few sandwiches, wrapped a couple of butter knives into napkins and went to get a blanket upstairs. She was all packed when Lyla rang her bell.

As soon as Sara entered the loft, she made a beeline for the DVD player, barely stopping to say hi.

“Sara!” Lyla scolded her.

“Nevermind,” Felicity reassured her friend. “We are not watching Frozen today, Sara. We are going out for a picnic.”

“Snowman?” The little girl asked with big eyes.

“No snowman today. Today is merry-go-round day.”

“Oh, are you going to Stanley Park?” Lyla asked as she dropped Sara’s bag on the table.

“Yes. And there is also a pond where you can feed ducks.” Felicity looked at Sara expectantly, hoping her secret weapon would win her over.

“Ducks?”

“Yes, ducks. There are also squirrels and a slide.”

Sara stared at her for a few seconds, frowning, as if she was considering her options. She eventually stepped away from the television and Felicity shared a quick glance of triumph with Lyla.

“Good job,” Lyla whispered as she knelt down. “Now, come on Sara, give me a kiss before I go to work. I’ll pick you up around 4:00 today. That’s a bit after you wake up from your nap.”

The first thing they did after finding the perfect picnic spot -underneath a tree by the pond, was to feed the ducks. Sara was still having a hard time understanding the difference between throwing bread at them and knocking them out, but they were working on it. They had just settled down on the blanket, Felicity rummaging through her icebox, when a very familiar voice made her pause.

“Room for one more?”

Blushing, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she turned to Oliver.

“I don’t know… it was supposed to be a girl day… Sara, what do you think?”

Sara raised her head from the book she was holding, a big grin appearing on her face when she saw they had a visitor.

“Uncle ‘Liver!”

Oliver kneeled next to her, planting a kiss on her head. “Hi there, Sara. What do you say? Can I stay with you?”

“Yes,” Sara answered seriously, patting the spot next to her so Oliver could sit down. He toed off his shoes and got rid of his jacket before joining them on the blanket.

Felicity quietly observed him as he listened to Sara babbling about the ducks.

“Not to be rude or anything but… how did you know we were here?” she eventually asked when the little girl grew tired of talking and grabbed her pencil case.

“Lyla asked me to stop by and give you this,” Oliver answered, handing her a small cotton hat she hadn’t even noticed he had with him. “But I can see Sara already has a cap so…”

“… I told Lyla I still had Sara’s cap in my car…” Felicity frowned, replaying her conversation with Lyla right before she had left the loft. “And why didn’t she just stop by the park herself?”

“I… I don’t know. She called me, asked me if I was free for lunch. I thought she wanted to go grab a bite but actually she needed a coursier.” Oliver laughed, shaking his head then paused, casting a quick glance at Sara and lowering his voice. “Do you think… she did this on purpose?”

“Well, this is Lyla Michaels we’re talking about. Since when does she forget a conversation about her child?”

“… but why? It’s not like she doesn’t trust you, you have Sara with you several days a week.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds until realization dawned on them. Lyla Michaels, match-maker. Who would have thought.

“Oh my God!”

“No, she wouldn’t!” Oliver chuckled, the smile dropping from his face when he saw Felicity’s reaction. “… she would, wouldn’t she?”

“Oh yeah, she would. She is parent trapping us! But why… what’s the rush? She could have invited us both for dinner or… or… oh.”

“Oh?”

“… she saw the dress,” Felicity mumbled, her cheeks flaming up. The dress she had bought for her date, that was proudly hanging on her stair rail.

“The dress? What dress?”

“For our date. Tomorrow. She saw it and… I think she put two and two together, me asking if she needed my help on Friday… then this brand new dress…”

“… she thinks you’re seeing someone else,” Oliver finished quietly.

Felicity folded her lips over her teeth, thankful to see that Sara was completely absorbed into her colouring. “This is kind of awkward, isn’t it?”

Oliver huffed out a laugh, ruffling his hair. “… Yeah. It kinda is. Listen, I’m sorry. I should have checked with you anyway before stopping by.”

“No. Don’t be silly. I made too much food anyway so… join us.”

As Felicity started to unload her icebox, Sara climbed on Oliver’s lap, handing him a book. She couldn’t keep the grin of her face at the sound of Oliver’s soft voice, sometimes mixed with Sara’s high-pitched giggles. He was miles away from his Green Arrow persona, or even his Mayor persona, and she was cherishing this side of him with an intensity that almost scared her. How he could be so different with the people he loved was something that would never stop amazing her.

Soon enough, they started to eat and Felicity was munching on baby carrots when she noticed that Sara left her sandwich mostly untouched, Oliver eyeing his own suspiciously.

“Hum… is there something wrong with my sandwiches?”

Oliver shook his head, refusing to meet her eyes.

_Subtle, Oliver… really subtle. You had that same look when I I put mint instead of basil in my lasagnas._

Rolling her eyes, she took a bite of her own, frowning. Tuna, eggs, mayo… and something… weird. Kinda chewy.

“What the…” she mumbled, opening her sandwich to get a better look. “I don’t understand! I did it exactly the way you do it!”

“… pretty sure you changed something,” Oliver coughed, taking a sip of water.

“No! Hard-boiled eggs? Check. Tuna? Check. Mayo? Check. French mustard? Check. Shallots? Check. Parsley? Check. Celery? Check! I didn’t add anything else, I swear!”

Oliver furrowed his eyes. “… I didn’t taste the celery?”

“Well, it’s there nonetheless!” Felicity groaned, pointing to the small pale green pieces in her own sandwich.

Oliver took a look then closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. “Felicity, that’s not celery.”

“Yes, it is! You left it in the fridge two days ago when you made that quiche!”

“I used leeks in that quiche. Not celery.”

“Wha… I can make the difference between leeks and celery, Oliver! You left a container with thinly sliced celery and-”

“Thinly sliced leeks. I was supposed to put them in the freezer and I forgot.”

“… I put leeks in my tuna salad?” Felicity whined, bowing her head in shame.

“The recipe was correct though, if it makes you feel better,” Oliver offered.

She felt a small patting on her thigh and she looked up, smiling when she saw Sara by her side, offering her a half-chewed baby carrot.

Oliver snorted then resumed eating his sandwich, gulping it down with water.

“Thank you, Sara. But you know that you don’t offer food you already started to eat, right? It’s yours, so you should finish it.”

Sara dropped the carrot back on her paper plate, grabbing a cracker instead.

“You don’t have to finish it, you know,” Felicity said to Oliver, pointing her chin towards his sandwich. She had rewrapped hers, deciding it would probably be decent food for the ducks or pigeons.

“I’ve had worse,” Oliver shrugged, taking his last bite.

“No celery on the island, right?”

“I was talking about your cooking, not the island.”

She gasped, outraged and only the presence of a two year-old kept her from throwing her napkin at him.

Oliver winked as he took a handful of cherry tomatoes, popping one in his mouth right away. Felicity licked her lips at the vision of his white teeth biting into the red flesh, the vision reminding her of…

_Nope. Don’t go there, Smoak._

Fortunately, Felicity had enough finger food to make up for the tuna salad disaster and all three of them were sated by the end of their meal. Oliver took Sara for another walk around the pound, her sandwiches finding a very different use than what she had had in mind when she had made them.

Once she was done packing, she sat back against the tree, quietly observing them. Oliver was so tall that he had to lean a little to the side in order to be able to hold Sara’s hand and even from the distance, she could hear the little girl’s rambling. There were other mothers with their children around and it didn’t escape Felicity’s attention that all of them were sneaking glances towards him.

Some not very discreetly.

To be fair, he really was a sight for sore eyes. Black slacks, blue dress shirt, loose tie and rolled up sleeves. With a toddler at his hand.

No straight woman could stand a chance.

Mayor Hottie - that was the nickname the media had given to Oliver, much to his embarrassment. And Thea’s eternal amusement. Felicity on the other hand had felt a pang of jealousy at the idea that women saw him as this extremely attractive male… single male. She knew she had no right to feel that way and they had been broken up for a few months now, by her own decision. She had muffled those inappropriate emotions, knowing she needed to let go of her feelings for him.

Only she hadn’t been able to. No matter how much she had tried.

She muffled a laugh when a brunette tried to get Oliver’s attention, boobs first, and he kept his eyes on Sara. Truth be told he was probably only making sure she wouldn’t fall head first into the pond but still. That woman had… very good arguments and she couldn’t have blamed him if his eyes had stranded south even just for a second.

As if he had heard her, he raised his head, meeting her eyes and she could have sworn, even from quite far away, that he winked at her.

_Take that, brunette with big boobs._

Her smugness ended when Titties put a hand on Oliver’s arm. Before Felicity could even realize what she was doing, she was already walking towards them. She knew she had no right whatsoever but still. He was obviously busy with a young child, and clearly not available for some mindless flirting. It was the right thing to do, as friend, to come to his rescue.

_Yeah, right._

“We would love to see you around. Let me give you my phone number, and just give me a call whenever you feel like you could stop by.” Titties was rummaging through her purse when Felicity arrived next to them, picking Sara up.

“I’ll give it to my secretary as soon as I get back to work,” Oliver smiled politely, sliding the small business card in the front pocket of his shirt.

Titties glanced at Felicity, then nodded curtly, joining the friends she had left at a picnic table.

“Thank you,” Oliver mouthed to Felicity.

“Up, up!” Sara clapped her hands, wiggling out of Felicity’s arms.

“But you are up!” Felicity said, frowning. She knew she wasn’t very tall, but it was still a clear improvement compared to where Sara had been merely a minute ago.

“Ssoulders!”

“Oh. I’m afraid that’s a job for you, Oliver.”

Oliver chuckled, taking Sara and lifting her until she was straddling his shoulders, her hands on his hair while he took a hold of her feet. Felicity went to pick up their jackets and her purse, leaving the icebox and blanket. It was mostly children and parents and from the merry-go-round, she would still be able to see their picnic spot anyway.

While Oliver was getting Sara safely inside a small car, staying with her for the first round, she sat down on a bench, taking a sip of water.

Oliver eventually joined her once he got kicked out by an employee and Felicity snorted at the sheepish expression on his face.

“Don’t laugh. She could really hurt herself.”

“Oliver, it’s a merry-go-round, and she’s inside a car, far from the edge.”

Oliver’s mouth twitched as he sat down next to her. The bench was small and his arm brushed against hers, causing her breath to catch in her throat. She gulped, keeping her eyes on Sara who was way too busy pushing on the horn to pay attention to the grown-ups around her. Suddenly, there was an awkwardness between them, as if both were very conscious that they hadn’t been this physically close in a long time.

Fortunately, a park employee came to talk to Oliver about the recent developments made in the area, breaking the small tension that was growing between them.

Why were they even uncomfortable? They had been spending time together outside of the bunker for a while now and suddenly, because the word date had been said out loud, something had shifted. Was it because now they both were aware of the fact that they wanted to work things out? They weren’t just friends or partners anymore, but not a couple either and truth be told, they might not be a couple for another while… or at all, depending on how the date, and possibly the next ones would go. Maybe what she thought could be fixed was broken beyond repair?

No. She couldn’t think like that. What they had was too precious to consider it lost forever. They needed to fight for it, first.

Damn it, mint chip ice-cream was worth fighting for!

Oliver and the park employee suddenly stopped their conversation, turning their heads towards her. Oliver had an amused smirk on his face and the other man was gaping.

“… I said that out loud didn’t I?” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“… yes. There’s an ice-cream parlor on the corner if you want to?” the park employee asked her, obviously concerned about her mental health.

“No… I was mostly talking to myself and… thank you, though.”

Oliver resumed his conversation, throwing her another amused glance, but apparently the employee wasn’t very comfortable at the idea of staying near her and quickly wrapped it up, walking away, keeping his eyes on her.

Sara’s third round was finishing and Oliver went to pick her up, to Felicity’s relief. He was back a minute later, carrying the little girl in his arms.

“Stay?” Sara asked him, stroking his stubble.

“I can’t. I have to go back to work. But Aunt Felicity said you could stay a bit longer. Come on now, give me a big kiss.”

Sara pouted but still pressed a little peck on his cheek then reached out to go in Felicity’s arms.

“Now kiss.”

Felicity froze.

Oliver froze.

“Kiss!” Sara insisted.

Oliver shook off his trance much faster than Felicity did and her eyes widened when she saw him leaning.

_Oh my God is he… is he going to kiss me? Here?… NOW?_

He barely grazed her cheek with his mouth and God help her but she legitimately moaned at the sensation, holding onto Sara to keep from turning her head and meeting his lips.

“I… I will see you tomorrow?” Oliver asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. She could see the tips of his ears were taking a lovely shade of pink, and she felt a bit better knowing he was just as affected as she was.

“Yes. Hum, yes of course. Our date. Well… it doesn’t have to be a real, real date, it’s more like… we’re going to a nice restaurant together and we’re going to talk about… a lot of things…”

“Yeah. Hum… do you want me to pick you up? Reservation is for 7:00?”

“No. No I’ll meet you there.”

She winced when she saw his face falling, disappointment clear in his eyes.

“I mean isn’t it better? No pressure? I thought it would be nice to… start things slow and see how it goes?”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. No pressure,” he nodded, shifting on his feet. “Well… I should go? I mean I’m actually supposed to do a job and my chief of security probably wonders where I am.”

“I think he better get used to that,” Felicity laughed as Sara dropped her head on her shoulder, probably bored by the conversation.

Oliver gave her a little handwave then turned around and walked away, his steps fast and assured. She sighed as she watched him leave, the longing in her chest growing even more.

“Ducks?” Sara eventually asked.

“Yes… we’re going to feed the ducks. Those things won’t need to eat for the rest of the week,” Felicity grinned as she softly pinched her chubby cheeks, causing Sara to giggle and hide her face in her shoulder.

_You little match-maker… you really are your mom and dad’s daughter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it ;) A little bit of jealous Felicity never hurts, right?
> 
> Find me on Twitter @PimsiePim or tumblr pimsiepim.tumblr.com  
> Don't be shy, come say hi ;)


	7. First Dates, First Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!  
> I am awfully behind on comments and stuff but I promise I'll get on it. I read every single one, and it means the world to me every time but (and here's the catch), I read them usually on my phone (nothing unusual there), and if I try to answer, there is this weird AF autocorrect that transforms every little thing I type into French (and weird stuff. Like I'll say "there" and it will change it to "enveloppe" for some reason I do not understand...). SO I need to sit down in front of my laptop and take one hour to answer, but when I sit down in front of my laptop, I get onto writing HGW part 2 or other stuff... so yeah... conflicting.

Felicity took a deep breath as she looked at her reflection. Her hands smoothing the fabric on her stomach, she turned to her side, checking her butt.

_Ass game on point._

The dress was red and stopped above the knees, the material hugging her curves perfectly. It had a high neckline, with a keyhole cutout that was showing the skin of her chest but no cleavage. Her arms and most of her shoulders were bare. **  
**

When she had seen the dress in the shop, she had bought it on impulse because it looked perfect for a second… well, technically third first date. It wasn’t a sexy dress, but it wasn’t a formal dress either. The perfect compromise for her, because she didn’t want to send the wrong signals.

And it was red.

She knew Oliver loved her in that color and as much as she didn’t want to give him hopes, she also wanted to let him know that this date mattered to her.

He mattered.

She had tied her hair in a low bun, a few strands grazing her neck and she quickly checked her make-up. She had kept things simple, apart from the red lipstick. Leaning down, she slipped her heels on, her favorite pair of nude sandals. Her hand reached for her purse, and after one last look, she left her room, her stomach still in knots. She almost caved in and popped a few benzos but stopped herself in time. It was ridiculous, really, to feel so nervous about a date with Oliver. They were just going to talk, hopefully have a nice, relaxed evening just the two of them.

And no sex.

Absolutely no sex.

After a ten minute cab ride, she was at the entrance of the restaurant. She was a couple of minutes early but it would probably be more pathetic to wait outside on the curb rather than inside, with a nice glass of wine preferably.

When she gave Oliver’s name to the waiter, she was surprised to see he walked her to the back of the restaurant, to a much more quiet corner. Apparently, Oliver had asked for a table as secluded as possible and she smiled, pleased to know they were on the same page. Her mouth opened in a little O of surprise when she saw Oliver was already seated at their table, waiting patiently, a glass of scotch turning in his hand. After all, he had a reputation of always being late and she couldn’t deny she was pleased to see he had done an effort on that front.

He stood up as soon as he saw her and she nodded to the waiter when they were just a few feet away from him.

“Hi,” she said, drawing a shaky breath.

“Hi,” he looked at her with a small hesitant smile on his face. He was wearing a suit, with no tie and the first button opened - which he knew she liked. She couldn’t help but think he had done that on purpose, the same way she had picked a red dress.

They shifted on their feet for a few seconds, both clearly nervous, until Felicity remembered where she was and sat on her chair. She was just wrapping her scarf on the back of her seat when she noticed Oliver shifting back.

She winced when she understood he had probably tried to pull her chair for her, but her own nerves hadn’t given him the time.

“You look… very nice,” he complimented her with a small smile. “And it’s a beautiful dress indeed.”

“Thank you,” she grinned, fiddling with her napkin.

The waiter approached them with their menus and poured them a glass of water and for a few minutes, all that could be heard was the sound of pages being turned. Felicity was hiding behind her menu, trying to read it but unable to focus. What was wrong with her… and him? They knew each other, for God’s sake. It wasn’t even their first dinner together since their break-up. Of course it had always been either casual or purely formal, one acting as a plus one. This one was a date, and they both were very aware of what they should be talking about.

Trust. William. The lie. Actually, make that plural. Malcolm Merlyn. Inclusion. Relationship.

It wasn’t like there wasn’t an abundance of topics they could - or actually needed - to approach.

Yet… she couldn’t bring herself to start.

She should have taken that benzo, after all.

“So… how was your day?” Oliver eventually asked after their gave their order.

“I saw Curtis for lunch.”

_Then I spent the afternoon biting my nails and staring at the clock like a sixteen year-old waiting for her first date._

“Oh. How is he doing?”

“Good. Apparently, the new CEO doesn’t give satisfaction and they might look for a replacement soon.”

“Already? Isn’t it already the second one since you… since you left?” Oliver asked, frowning.

Taking a sip of water, she snorted. “Since I was fired, you mean. The one they had replacing me actually never came, the whole nuclear missiles and evil magic bad guys freaked him out. Jeez, I really wonder why. Then they appointed that one in the interim but Palmer Tech is, apparently, a lost cause and there is nothing he can do. Apart from taking that nice little departing bonus of course. Rumor has it they’re trying to find yet another substitute.”

“It’s not official?”

“No. I should find out more in next week’s board meeting.”

“You’re going?”

“I’m still the main shareholder, after all. They might have kicked me out of the company but legally, my voice still counts. But enough with the depressing talk, what about you?” Felicity asked, leaning her elbows on the table. They were talking, it was already a step in the right direction.

Oliver told her about the obstacles he was facing, mostly in terms of budget and she noticed he was relaxing as well. There was something so heart-warming in his enthusiasm and passion, seeing him being able to finally do something real, tangible for his city that didn’t just involve catching bad guys and stopping the end of the world. It was an everyday work, full of step backs and frustrations but it was making him a much more balanced man.

When they started their first course - a shrimp salad for her and a soup for Oliver, they were still firmly avoiding diving into what they really should be talking about. After all, they saw each other several days a week, plus most of the nights and Star City, just like PT, were topics they had discussed at length already and clearly were not what she had in mind when she had asked him out.

_Houston, we have a serious case of avoiding the elephant in the room._

“So we don’t know yet if the new bus stops should be blue or -”

“What are we doing, Oliver?” She interrupted him, putting her fork down. This was getting ridiculous.

“... Having dinner?”

“No. I mean, I didn’t ask you out on a date so we could talk about bus stops or pine trees or CEOs or anything like that and…” she trailed off, rubbing a hand over her forehead.

Oliver pinched his lips, nodding quietly. “I just… I just don’t know what you want to talk about.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Seriously, you have no idea?”

“I mean I know what a date is, of course I do but…” he huffed out a small, bitter laugh. “I’m trying to give you the lead, here, Felicity, because I’ve already said everything I had to say and I-”

“What? Are you talking about our fake-wedding and our talk in the bunker afterwards?”

“Yeah, I meant every single thing I told you that day, you know that.”

“... and to you, that’s all there is to say? I mean we still haven’t even mentioned your son’s name for Christ’s sake, that should tell you something!”

He must have been joking. Did he really think that all of that fiasco was just a… a detail or something? There were deep issues that needed to be explored.

“Well, the thing is I didn’t know if you wanted to talk about it or not.”

“Of course I do! We’ll never be able to move forward if we don’t talk about that. You have a son, Oliver, even if you sent him far away, it doesn’t change the fact that you have a child out there and if there’s even a chance for us to be a couple again, how can we not talk about that? How can we not talk about how your reaction was to think a child wasn’t a possibility in your life? What can we build for us if we don’t even know where we want to go?”

Oliver nodded, his finger playing with the hem of his glass. “You don’t agree with my decision, do you?”

“... This is not really the point. I wasn’t part of said-decision to begin with. I wasn’t lucky enough to be your best friend or a fellow hero you met a total number of three times, so you didn’t ask for my opinion,” she snapped, much more harshly than she had intended to.

_This is a disaster… what is wrong with me? What is wrong with us?_

“I guess I deserved that.”

Felicity was about to open her mouth and apologize for her tone - not her words though, when Oliver reached in his pocket, frowning.

“It’s Lyla.” He glanced at her apologetically, then picked up.

Her temper fell as suddenly as it had risen. She bit her lips, concerned about the reason why Lyla would call Oliver while she knew they were on a date. All she could hear was Oliver’s side of the conversation and unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly reassuring.

“What? When?”

“OK, no, don’t worry. In which hospital are you?”

_Hospital?!_

“OK, we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

He was already standing up and calling a waiter before he hung up.

“Oliver, what’s-”

He cut her off. “Sara fell and hit her head pretty badly. They’re at Starling General.”

Oliver handed his credit card to the waiter, quickly explaining the situation while she gathered her purse and scarf.

“Can you wait here, I’m going to get the car?” He asked her, putting his hand on her arm. She nodded, fiddling with her purse, a million thoughts invading her brain.

The vision of Sara, her tiny body curled up in a hospital bed, brought tears in her eyes. Her insides twisting, she pressed a shaky hand to her mouth, trying to calm down. There was no point in panicking, especially when she had very little info.

As soon as she was given Oliver’s credit card, she made her way to the entrance of the restaurant, where Oliver was just arriving as well. She jumped on the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt as he sped through the early night.

“Did she give you any more details?”

“No. Sara was… crying loudly so…”

“I hate to say this but crying is good, right? I mean... it can’t be bad?” Felicity asked, biting her lower lip nervously.

“Yeah… yeah, I think so. She also mentioned her wrist, I think.”

His eyes were firmly on the road and she could see the tension on his face, the way his fingers were gripping the wheel. His voice was as calm and collected as usual, but his body was betraying him.

It only took them less than ten minutes to make it to the hospital. Oliver took her hand as soon as she stepped out of the car and she gripped it tightly, his warmth reassuring her and soothing her nerves better than any benzo ever could.

They were directed to a small room as soon as they made it to the ER and that Oliver declined his identity. Apparently, being Mayor could open doors as efficiently as the Green Arrow could. Just more… legally.

Lyla sighed as soon as they stepped inside the room, a small relieved smile stretching her lips. It suddenly occurred to Felicity that she had been completely alone until then. She gulped, her eyes drifting to her hand still holding Oliver’s.

“How is she?” Oliver asked as he closed the door.

“She cried herself to sleep but they’re going to wake her up soon for her x-ray. Her wrist is swollen and very painful apparently. They don’t think it’s broken, but they want to check.” Lyla caressed her daughter’s hair, leaning against the bed. Sara was rolled up on her side, her red, swollen hand resting on a pillow. Her hair was damp, sticking to her forehead, and her nose red and blotchy. There was a big bump and a visible cut above her right eyebrow, with two butterfly stitches.

Oliver’s hand left Felicity’s when he went on the other side of the bed, sitting down on a chair.

“What happened?”

“I… I have no idea. We were home, I was finishing dinner while she was playing in her room and suddenly I heard this loud crash and Sara was screaming. I think she managed to climb on a cabinet, then fell from there.”

“And the head?” Felicity asked, taking a seat next to Lyla.

“Should be just a bad cut and a bruise, even if it’s swollen. They will still keep her for the night to make sure there is no concussion, but they didn’t seem worried about that.”  

“Oh, good. That’s a relief,” Felicity said, exhaling slowly. Sara was going to be fine.

“I’m sorry I called you, though. She was crying after John and I couldn’t calm her down and…”

“Don’t be silly. You did the right thing, there is no reason for you to be doing this alone when we are here.” Felicity rubbed Lyla’s back reassuringly. “Is there anything we can do though? Did you eat, do you need something to drink?”

“Oh, no, thank you. I tried to call my mom but she’s out of town this weekend.”

The three of them settled in a somehow comfortable silence, only disrupted by Sara’s little snores and occasional sniffle. A doctor arrived a few minutes later, announcing they needed to take her for her x-ray, asking Lyla to try to wake her up slowly. They had given Sara some painkillers and she was still mostly out of it, so she didn’t struggle much, only settling down in her mother’s arms, her mouth open, eyes still closed.

Only Lyla was allowed to go with her, which left Oliver and Felicity alone once more. Oliver started pacing, hands in his pockets, occasionally staring through the window. Felicity was fidgeting with the bed sheets, glancing at his back every now and then.

After a while, she suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up, picking up her purse. “I’m going to grab some coffee. Do you want one?”

Oliver turned around, then shook his head. “No, thank you, I’m good.”

Coffee helped. Or whatever was that dark warm drink that they called coffee. Sara was doing fine. She was hurting, but it wasn’t life-threatening, Felicity had seen it in Lyla’s behavior. It had been scary but not serious. Yet, seeing the little girl lying in this hospital bed… she really hoped she’d never get to see her there again. She was still so little, and probably didn’t understand what happened and who were those persons around her. Poor little thing must have been so scared, and Lyla so alone. The worst was behind them, though.

Now, concerning her and Oliver… that date had been a mistake.

No. Not the date itself. It had been a good idea. What hadn’t worked was the amount of pressure and expectation that had gone with the date. It had made them nervous, hesitant, defensive. Especially her. Talking used to be so simple between them… since when did it become a struggle? She knew she had a big part of responsibility in that. She was often passive aggressive, in a “let’s hurt him before he can hurt me” kind of way. And that was wrong. She needed to work on that, she was aware of that now. Whatever would happen between them, she couldn’t let her own fears dictate her behavior. It wasn’t healthy and it wasn’t fair.

She was going back to the room when she heard Sara’s cries from afar. She saw Lyla carrying a struggling Sara inside her room and she threw her almost empty cup of coffee before hurrying behind them. Apparently, whatever painkillers they had given her had stopped working.

As soon as Sara saw Oliver, she held out her arms towards him, sobbing.

Oliver’s eyebrows raised to his hairline as he looked at Lyla in surprise.

“She’s been asking for you for some reason.”

“Uncle ‘Liber,” Sara whined, her nose running while Oliver took the few steps that separated him from her. He gently lifted her out of Lyla’s embrace, and Sara threw a dirty look at her mother as she snuggled into his arms.

“She got scared of the x-ray,” Lyla explained in a tired voice. “But there doesn’t seem to be anything broken. They still put a small cast around her wrist, to make sure she wouldn’t hurt herself again and give the sprain enough time to heal.”

Only then did Felicity notice the pink cast around the toddler’s wrist. Oliver was humming quietly in her ear, her sobs slowly turning into hiccups. He sat down on a chair, his hand slowly caressing her hair and back, murmuring things in her ear that Felicity couldn’t hear.

“Do you mind if I go call my mom?” Lyla asked quietly. “I don’t want her to worry.”

“No. Of course, go. Grab something to eat, too, you look pale.” Felicity squeezed her arm reassuringly, adding, “do you want me to come with you?”

“No. No, thank you. I’ll have my phone if you need me, but I’d rather do that now so I can stay with her for the night non-stop.”

“Then go. Get something to eat and drink, we’ll stay with her until you come back.”

Felicity softly closed the door behind Lyla then turned around and leaned against it, her eyes glued to the scene in front of her.

Oliver had sat down on a chair, his hand slowly stroking Sara’s hair and back, murmuring things in her ear that Felicity couldn’t make out. Sara’s hiccups were slowing down, her big eyes staring into emptiness and her injured arm resting against Oliver’s chest.

The sight was so perfect, despite the little girl’s injury, that it brought tears in her eyes. Oliver Queen was made to be a father. His big arms were made for cuddles, his big hands were made to dry tears.

_I want this._

A family with Oliver, one day. She wanted it. Desperately. They would have to work things out. There was no other choice, they would have to work things out, no matter what it took, a counselor, yoga, hypnose, she was ready to try it all.

Yes, she was still hurting and yes, she was still wary. But what they had had been so precious, so good… she wasn’t ready to let it go.

She eventually sat down, on the opposite side of the bed, her eyes still fixed on the two of them. Something warm spread through her, a peaceful sensation that relieved her of the tension she had been feeling the entire evening.

Oliver glanced up, offering her a small smile and she grinned back at him.

They didn’t speak, Sara’s breathing quieting down until she fell back asleep. Even then, they stayed quiet, sharing a few looks, but the silence wasn’t awkward or full of tension this time. It was the silence of two people who are comfortable with each other and don’t need to talk to communicate.

It was their kind of silence.

Lyla came back half an hour later, a bag of groceries in hand, slightly out of breath. The doctors had assigned a proper room for Sara, instead of the one they were currently using in the ER. Lyla and Felicity quickly gathered their few belongings and, Sara still in Oliver’s arms, they made their way to the children aisle. The hospital was quiet, seeing that it was already way past 10PM. The nurses had been kind enough to set up a bed for Lyla as well and Oliver carefully placed Sara on hers, letting her mother tuck her in.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Felicity whispered.

“No,” Lyla shook her head. “She’ll be fine, and we’ll be able to leave in the morning anyway. I’ll keep you updated if there’s anything new. Thank you. The both of you, I mean.”

“Don’t mention it,” Oliver reassured her, giving her a quick hug.

With a last little wave, they left the small bedroom, leaving daughter and mother alone.

Felicity took a deep breath as they started walking at a leisurely pace. “Well… that was quite an interesting evening, wasn’t it?”

“You could say that,” Oliver grinned, shrugging out of his jacket. Wordlessly, he put it on her shoulders and she tilted her head, amused that he knew she was getting cold.

“Thank you,” she mouthed, snuggling into the warm fabric.

“You’re welcome,” he winked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“We didn’t eat…” she trailed off as they turned around a corner.

Oliver huffed out a laugh. “No, indeed. Do you… do you want to go grab a bite? At this time, we can probably say goodbye to the Thai restaurant but…”

She didn’t exactly hear the rest of his words, because suddenly everything seemed oddly familiar. Like an old déjà-vu.

Looking around her, she gulped, recognizing where they were.

This was where Oliver had kissed her for the first time. The day Sara was born. It had also been the day things had ended between them - the first time at least.

Was this some kind of a sign? A new beginning, a way to re-do things? A chance to start afresh?

“... Felicity?”

Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind and focus on Oliver. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

“Are you OK? You look pale. Maybe we should just grab a sandwich here?”

She took two steps, enough to close the gap between them and, reaching on her toes, pressed her lips on his.

She needed to know. Would the spark still be there? Or would it be gone?

He froze against her for a few seconds before his hands found their usual place on her hips. She could feel his thumb rubbing small circles on her waist and… yep… spark was definitely still there.

Oh yeah. Firework kind of spark, actually.

His lips were warm and soft against hers, so familiar that it only made her want to melt in his arms. He didn’t try to deepen the kiss, and neither did she, but they lingered, savoring that first kiss after all those months, savoring the way it felt to breath each other in.

They eventually parted, and Felicity slowly opened her eyes, meeting Oliver’s. He was looking at her intently, with a profound happiness but also a trace of wariness as if he didn’t fully dare to believe what had actually happened.

“This is where you kissed me. The first time, I mean.” She eventually explained and he furrowed his brow, looking around him.

“Oh. Yes. We were coming from the opposite way. I remember.”

“We really need to talk, Oliver. And not with a gigantic amount of pressure and nerves like earlier.”

“I agree. Big Belly Burger is still open?” He grinned, offering her his hand.

_Perfect._

“What hurt me the most was that you didn’t even seem remotely conflicted in the idea of marrying me and keeping that huge part of your life a secret.”

Felicity stole another of his fries while he took a sip of water. They were sitting in their usual booth, side by side, their plates already half empty. They had been talking ever since they had been in the car, words coming easily between them.

“I’ve thought a lot… and believe me when I say a lot, I mean it, about how everything went down. I didn’t like lying to you. It wasn’t my first instinct. I told you so, I wanted you to be a part of his life as well. But… I just couldn’t bear the idea to do something, even if it would have been the right thing, that could have made me lose William. In the end, all I could think about was that… a father should always put their child first and if I didn’t do it with William then… how could I ever be a father for any other child?”

“I understood that, you know. I really did. I also know you were stuck and didn’t have a choice but respect Samantha’s decision. I mean, with you running for Mayor, you had painted a gigantic target on your back, so going through the legal way for parental rights would have meant making it public knowledge and therefore… putting an even bigger target sign on William himself.”

“I really thought I was controlling everything. I was seeing William, Samantha was getting more comfortable… the more I was seeing him, the quicker she’d trust me enough to tell you about him but-”

“But in order to do so, you had to lie to me over and over again.”

“Yes. And…” Oliver took a deep breath, wiping his hands on a napkin. “I’m not proud of that but I think… I think I’ve always been able to count on you, no matter what. You always understood, always supported me.”

“You took me for granted. You thought I would understand and support you again.”

He winced, scratching the tip of his ear. “... Yes. In a way, I think I was confident you’d stay by my side no matter what. But believe me… I’ve learned my mistake. There was a limit, and I completely went past it.”

“In a way… I do have a part of responsibility in that. When we left Star City after Ra’s… I didn’t hesitate one second before dropping everything to go with you. You were alive, and not a creepy assassin shall I add, and you finally gave us a chance… I jumped. We live such crazy lives that we’re getting used to decisions made in the spurt of the moment. But we should have slowed down in our relationship.”

“And I should have never lied to you. It will never happen again, Felicity.”

She looked at him, his eyes so open and solemn and she smiled, leaning in to press a quick peck on his cheek. “I believe you.”

“Does that mean you’ll accept to go on a second date with me?” He grinned, hopeful.

“Technically… this is our second date, Oliver,” she teased him, munching on a pickle.

“You mean I might get lucky on the next one already?”

She giggled, throwing a napkin at him. “Don’t push your luck.”

She saw his eyes darkening as he leaned towards her, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Nope. You’re the mayor now, and there are people around. No make out in public.”

“Ugh. We kissed in the hospital, Felicity.”

“That was different.”

“How?” He huffed out a laugh, biting in his burger.

“Well, first of all there wasn’t that waitress ogling you.”

“She’s not… is she? Really?” he muttered, looking in the window behind her shoulder to try to catch the reflection of said-waitress.

“Yep. But keep on not noticing, I really like that, Mayor Hottie.”

“Oh not you, too!” he groaned, dropping his head back.

“Hey! I feel like if there’s one person allowed to call you that, it’s me, OK?”

“... I’ll let you call me that as much as you want if I get a kiss right now.”

She bit her lips, glaring at him playfully. He smiled innocently and, after a quick glance past his shoulder, saw that the waitress was nowhere in sight. Actually, almost the entire restaurant was now deserted. Swiftly making up her mind, she cradled his face and pressed her lips against his, his eyes betraying his surprised at the sudden movement. The kiss lasted a total of two seconds but… it was still a kiss.

He laughed when she let go of him, a low, quiet laugh that made his eyes wrinkle. She couldn’t help but grin back at him as their hands joined underneath the table, their fingers entwining while their gazes locked.

It was far from being a perfect date. After all, they were having burgers and fries, while in formal clothes. It was almost midnight, her hair hadn’t survived the stress of the night and she was pretty sure her make-up hadn’t either. But they had talked, laughed and even kissed. Slowly, they were rebuilding their relationship. Piece by piece, little by little.

“It’s going to take some time, you know,” she whispered quietly, her hand stroking his wrist.

“I know. But we’re worth it.”

“Yes. We’re worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There should be one more chapter to this story ;)
> 
> Hope you liked it, the date probably didn't go the way you thought it would but I thought it made more sense to have them reunite in a way that meant something rather than what a usual first date could offer them.
> 
> Find me on twitter @PimsiePim or tumblr pimsiepim.tumblr.com  
> Don't be shy, come say hi ;)


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! Last chapter, guys :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the journey, I sure did ;)  
> Thank you all for your support, comments, kudos, and so on. It was fun to delve into the fluff XD
> 
> Special thanks to Pidanka, as usual, for her help :)

**_Three years later_ **

**  
  
** “She’s tiny and… wrinkly.” **  
**

“Sara…” Lyla warned her daughter with a stern look.

Oliver huffed out a laugh. “Well, yes. All newborns are tiny and wrinkly.”

“You were very wrinkly, Sara. I’ll show you pictures once we get back home,” Dig said, winking at Oliver.

Both families were spending the Sunday brunch together, celebrating Lili Queen’s first weekend at home. She was born on Tuesday, a healthy baby girl who had made her father’s joy. Once his wife had stopped being in pain, that is. He hadn’t been very fond of that part. At all.

And no matter what Felicity would say, he hadn’t fainted at all. He had just needed to sit down for a minute. A muscle spasm. It literally happened to everyone.

“Anyway, it’s going to be time for her bottle,” Felicity interrupted them. “Oliver, do you want to-”

“Yup!” He grinned, standing up and taking his daughter from Lyla’s arms. Feeding times were his favorite moments. With bath times. And also, just-watching-her-sleep times.

They had installed a nice, very comfy rocking chair in her bedroom, and he had already set up a routine. He would change her diaper, then settle down on the chair, with an extra towel on his shoulder, and feed her, rocking softly while looking at the garden through the window. Then after her burp, she would usually fall asleep and he’d put her in her crib and press a kiss on her forehead.

And finally tear his heart in two when he had to leave the room.

Even if they had guests, he was always adamant that he’d feed her in her room. It was their moment, just the two of them, and he wasn’t ready to sacrifice any of them. Felicity had prefered to have Lili get used to the bottle right away, because she would have to go back to work very soon and didn’t want to make things any more difficult for her. One big change at a time. Not to mention, that meant Oliver got to take part in those moments as well. They had both agreed that since Felicity was with their child much more than him, Oliver could call dibs whenever he was home. They loved to spend time just the three of them, but each parent also liked a little one-on-one and Oliver didn’t get that very often. So feeding time was very precious to him.

Oliver had been upstairs for almost half an hour, and Lili’s bottle was almost empty when he heard a small scratching sound by the door.

Turning his head, he saw a little shadow on the threshold and he smiled fondly, knowing right away who was his little spy. “You can come in, Sara.”

“Mommy said not to disturb you.”

“You’ll never disturb me. Just stay quiet, so Lili can eat and then fall asleep, OK?”

Sara nodded, walking inside the room hesitantly. The only sound that could be heard was Lili’s little mouth as she drank from her bottle and the small creaking sound made by the chair.

“Why do you have a baby now?” Sara eventually asked, keeping her voice low as promised.

Oliver raised his eyebrows, secretly hoping she would stick with the why and not delve into the how. “For the same reason your mom and dad had you. Aunt Felicity and I love each other so much, that we wanted to add a little girl to our family.”

“... but you already had me in your family.”

Oliver frowned, his eyes leaving his daughter’s peaceful face as he observed Sara. She was biting her lips, shifting on her feet.

He took a small breath, choosing his words carefully. “Yes. Of course. But I’m just your uncle, I’m not your daddy.”

“You wanted to be a daddy?”

“Yes. I wanted that with Aunt Felicity more than anything else in the world.”

“You didn’t want to be just my uncle?”

“Felicity and I wanted to have children, just the two of us.”

“... I wasn’t enough? I could have asked mommy and daddy to come more often.”

“Oh, sweetheart…” Oliver gulped, feeling his heart break at the sadness in her voice.  “Of course you are enough. It’s because I love you so much that I wanted a little girl just like you.”

“You didn’t come to my dance gala. Mommy said that now you won’t have as much time for me and it’s normal because I am becoming a big, big girl.”

“Well, yes you are. And you’re also going to be a big sister soon. I’m sorry I didn’t come to your dance gala, I really wanted to. But Aunt Felicity needed me, she was at the hospital.”

“To take the baby out of her belly?”

“Yes,” Oliver nodded, feeling a sheen of sweat covering his forehead. They were getting way too close to the baby talk for his liking.

“So it was just that one time? It’s not because now you have your own baby?”

“No. I promise you, Sara. Sometimes I won’t be able to come, because Lili is very small and needs a lot of attention. She can’t eat by herself like you do, for instance, or even go to school. So I will need to stay at home with her a lot. But I will always have time for you.”

“Even for brownies?”

“Yes, even for brownies. I’m going to need you too, you know.”

Sara frowned, leaning on his leg. “For what?”

“Well, I don’t know a lot about little girls. You’re gonna have to help me. I don’t know what little girls like to wear, for instance.”

“Oh.”

“And also tell me if I don’t do her hair right.”

“She doesn’t have hair.”

“Well…” Oliver huffed out a laugh, lightly shaking his head. Trust children to have implacable logic. “She doesn’t have hair **yet** , but she will soon.”

Sara seemed to ponder his words, then eventually nodded seriously. “Alright. I’ll help you.”

Lili stirred in his arms, her mouth moving away from the bottle. He straightened her against his shoulder, lightly tapping her back until he heard a satisfied little burp. Sara giggled, muffling the sound behind her hands. Oliver winked at her then stood up, walking to the crib. He carefully laid his daughter down, covering her with the small blanket and tugging the end underneath the mattress to make sure she couldn’t grab it and cover her face during her sleep.

Leaning down, he picked up Sara who was still quietly observing him from the floor and, after switching the baby phone up, closed the door behind him.

He went straight to the kitchen, set Sara on the counter while he washed the bottle thoroughly.

As he was drying his hands, he saw the tiny scar Sara had above her right eyebrow and, smiling, brushed a finger against it.

“Do you know how you got that scar?”

“Yes. Mommy told me I fell from a cabinet because I was a daredevil like daddy and you.”

Oliver snorted as he leaned against the counter as well. “Well, that night, your daddy was away and-”

“In the army? When he was a hero?”

“Yes, exactly. So your daddy was away and your mommy called me when you were in the hospital. You were two years-old, small and very scared. You were crying, loudly and I was completely lost because I didn’t know much about children back then. And you know what you did?”

“I stopped crying?”

“No. Not right away. You lifted your arms and asked for a cuddle. I took you in my arms, we both sat down, and you started to calm down, until you fell asleep on me.”

Oliver smiled, remembering that night as if it was yesterday. After their “second” date at Big Belly Burger, he had driven Felicity back home and left with a chaste kiss on the threshold. Well… mostly chaste. They had gone on several other dates, taking their time, until one night when Felicity had had enough and had pulled him inside. It had taken six months before Felicity had asked him to move in, and another eight months to propose to him. Their wedding had been small, just their closest friends and family, and it had been perfect.

“And you were mad? Mommy gets mad when I scream.”

“Oh, honey, no. You were hurt and afraid, nobody was mad at you. But that night, I was holding you and… that’s when I knew I wanted to have a daughter one day.”

“Because of me?” Sara asked, her eyes wide and surprised.

“Yes, because of you. That makes you really special.”

“And Aunt Felicity?”

“Oh… that’s her story to tell. But you also played a part in that one.”

Sara seemed to ponder his words for a few moments, then jumped off the counter. “Can I go play outside?”

Oliver grinned, knowing she loved the swing he had installed for her when they had moved in. “Go ask your mom, and put a jacket on.”

With that, she was gone, running back to the living room. It was only then that he saw his wife leaning on the doorframe, a soft smile on her lips.

“How long have you been there?” he asked as he put the clean bottle in the sterilizer.

“Long enough,” Felicity said quietly as she stepped behind him, slipping her arms around his waist, her cheek nestling between his shoulder blades. “Lili drank her bottle?”

“Almost all of it. She’s got an appetite,” Oliver answered as he turned around, his hands circling her waist. “We’re going to have to make bigger bottles soon.”

“Easy for you to say, you’re not the one pumping,” Felicity snorted.

“The offer still stands,” Oliver whispered teasingly in her ear.

“Oliver!” Felicity gasped, her cheeks blushing furiously. “This is so… not… just… no!”

Chuckling, he leaned in to peck her lips. He had loved every single aspect of her pregnancy, even the ones that had made her uncomfortable. He had done everything in his power to reassure her, but he knew that she was still struggling with the changes in her own body.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are today?”

Felicity rolled her eyes, but he saw the pleased smile that stretched her lips. “Yes, this morning, even though I know I look like a mess.”

“Then you are the most beautiful mess I have ever seen.”

“Oliver… you’re really becoming cheesy with the years, you know that?” she grinned, stroking his jaw. “But I didn’t come here to fish for compliments. Lyla and John are going to leave soon. Maybe… maybe Sara could stay a bit longer if she wants to? I think she misses you.”

“Are you sure? I know you’re tired, Lili hasn’t let you sleep much.”

“Yes, I am, but she is napping now, and I’m probably going to do the same. Also… I’d love to wake up to freshly baked brownies and I know for a fact that she is your favorite assistant.”

“... Didn’t we tease John and Lyla about baby-sitting payback?”

“Well… let’s make it an exception,” Felicity winked. “Besides, Lili is still too young anyway.”

Sara stayed the rest of the afternoon with them. After Felicity went upstairs for some much needed rest, he prepared everything for their brownies while Sara was playing outside. The house was silent, the only sounds he could hear were Sara’s muffled squeals. His wife and daughter were asleep while he was busy in the kitchen, and he suddenly realized how perfect his life had become.

He was going back to work the next day, and it was tearing his heart apart because he had managed to lighten his schedule the last week in order to fit Felicity’s planned c-section (only to have Lili deciding to arrive one day earlier) but it was now time to get back to reality. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to fit everything, but he also knew his priorities. His family. His wife and his daughter.

He had come really close to never have what he had now and he wasn’t about to let it slip away from him.

The backdoor opening shook him from his thoughts and he smiled when he saw Sara shrugging off her jacket and dropping it carelessly on the floor.

“Sara…” he scolded her until she pinched her lips sheepishly and picked it up to place it on a chair.

“Are we making brownies?” she asked with a huge grin.

“Yes. Go wash your hands, everything is almost ready,” Oliver answered as he finished cutting the chocolate.

As soon as Sara was back, she stepped into the walk-in pantry, grabbing her small apron. She put it around her neck, turning around so Oliver could tie it for her. He then picked her up, placing her on a stool.

“Alright… let’s see if you remember. What is the first thing we need to do?”

 

**

After he had driven Sara back home, with a big plate of brownies - so Felicity wouldn’t be too tempted, Oliver sneaked back upstairs. He slowly opened the door to his daughter’s room, but wasn’t surprised to see her crib was empty. She had already slept longer than usual, and had probably woken up hungry while he was gone.

As he stepped closer to their room, he heard Felicity’s voice singing softly and he was already smiling before he even pushed the door open.

“Hi there,” he murmured as he padded his way across the room. Felicity was lying on her side, holding Lili’s hand, who was in the center of their bed. She was obviously still awake, which surprised him.

He delicately climbed on the bed as well, lying on the other side of their daughter. Felicity smiled at him when he rested his hand over Lili’s small tummy.

“Hi. You already drove Sara back home?”

“Yup. How come she isn’t asleep yet?” Oliver asked, his eyes dropping to the baby between them.

“No idea. She drank her bottle, burped but stayed awake in my arms. She should crash soon though.”

“Did you rest?” Oliver asked, his finger reaching out to stroke Felicity’s knuckles.

“Yes,” she smiled and he was relieved to see that the dark circles underneath her eyes had at least faded a bit.

Making sure Lili was still safely between their bodies, Oliver leaned in just enough to brush his lips against Felicity’s. She sighed against his mouth, her lips moving back against him, deepening the kiss. It was slow, and Felicity was still obviously a bit sleepy, but it felt so warm and natural that it made his heart flutter. They hadn’t had the time or the occasion for a real lazy kiss lately and even if it had just been a matter of days, he had missed it. They eventually parted, but Oliver didn’t move back, resting his head on her pillow instead. 

They both grinned, gazing at each other as the small noises coming from their daughter slowly became quieter as she drifted into sleep.

“I love you,” he murmured. “I really thought I couldn’t love you more than when she was born but... I was so wrong. Loving her makes me love you even more each day.”

Felicity smiled, closing the small gap between their lips. She pressed one small kiss, then lingered, whispering against his lips. “I love you, too. I love our family.”

 

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it ;)
> 
> Find me on twitter @PimsiePim or tumblr pimsiepim.tumblr.com  
> Don't be shy, come say hi!


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